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'It was a bad dream. The final is tomorrow': Rohit Sharma reveals heartbreaking chat with wife Ritika after ODI WC loss
Team India faced a one-sided defeat at the final of the ODI World Cup to Australia in 2023.
Team India will be aiming to end an 11-year drought for an ICC title at the ongoing T20 World Cup this month. The Rohit Sharma-led side made a strong start to the edition, beating Ireland by 8 wickets in its opening match on Wednesday in New York. This will likely be the last T20 World Cup appearance for two of India's batting giants – captain Rohit and Virat Kohli.
Rohit Sharma's Indian team faced a heartbreak in the 2023 ODI World Cup held at home; after enjoying a 10-match unbeaten run in the tournament, India endured a final defeat at the hands of Pat Cummins' Australia in Ahmedabad. As India continue its campaign in the T20 World Cup, Adidas India has posted a video of Rohit recollecting the moments after the defeat in the final.
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Rohit said that it never “occurred” to anyone in the camp that they could lose the final, stating that he “just wanted to go home” following the one-sided loss. India were asked to bat first by Pat Cummins, and the toss proved vital, as the side was bowled out for 240 with Australia chasing the target down with six wickets to spare.
“We were jokingly talking about it, 'oh we've been unbeaten so far...' Before the final, the thought of losing never even occurred to us. We had the belief that we had been playing really good cricket, we will run through. We will keep going in the same direction,” Rohit recalled.
“I ran (towards dressing room after the loss). I was in no mood to stay there. Honestly, I just wanted this so badly. I mean, when you want something so desperately and you're not getting it, you get frustrated. You get disappointed. You get angry, you get all these negative thoughts running through your head. At that moment, you can't even think of what's happened in life. You don't understand that. You just want to go home,” said Rohit.
Conversation with wife
Rohit also recollected his conversation with wife, Ritika Sajdeh, revealing that it took him 2-3 days to come to terms with the loss. He said the final in Ahmedabad felt like a bad dream.
“Next day, when I woke up, I had no idea what had happened the night before. I couldn't understand it. I was discussing it with my wife and I said, 'whatever happened last night was a bad dream, right? I think the final is tomorrow'. It took me 2-3 days to realise and process that yes, we have indeed lost the World Cup. Now we have to wait another four years for another chance,” said Rohit.
The team will be eager to put the heartbreak behind at the T20 World Cup, with India's next match in the tournament on June 9 when it takes on arch-rivals Pakistan in New York.
