‘It Felt Like a Bad Dream’ – Rohit Sharma on Waking Up After World Cup Final Loss
Rohit Sharma admitted he couldn't process India's World Cup loss for several days.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma recently revealed the devastating impact India’s ODI World Cup final loss to Australia in 2023 had on him. Speaking in a promotional video, Sharma confessed to questioning his own reality the morning after the defeat.
“When I woke up the next day after the World Cup Final, I had no idea what happened last night,” Sharma said in his interaction with Adidas India. “I was discussing it with my wife and told her ‘Whatever happened last night was a bad dream, right? I think the final is tomorrow.'”
The crushing defeat, which saw Australia trounce India by 7 wickets on home soil, clearly took a heavy toll on the captain. Rohit Sharma described feeling frustrated and angry with himself, especially considering India’s unbeaten streak during the entire league stage, including semi-final against New Zealand.
“It took me two to three days to realize that we lost the final and that we will get another chance only four years later,” he added.
India entered the Ahmedabad final as clear favourites, but Pat Cummins’ Australia proved too strong on a sluggish pitch. While the Mumbaikar provided a promising start with a 31-ball 47, his dismissal in the 10th over proved a turning point. India were eventually restricted to 240, which Australia chased down comfortably thanks to a Travis Head century.
