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When India last lifted the One Day International (ODI) World Cup title, Rohit Sharma was obviously ecstatic for his teammates and over the moon as an Indian but deep down, there was a regret… a sense of disappointment. He knew he should have been a part of the team that lifted the title in front of the home crowd but he wasn’t. The right-hander was overlooked by selectors for the ICC event in 2011. Since then, India have only made it to the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup and the Men In Blue last won an ICC trophy back in 2013. With Rohit all set to marshall his troops at the grandest stage of them all, veteran Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik spoke at length about the rise and rise of Team India’s all-format captain.
Karthik, who was a part of India’s T20 World Cup last year in Australia, observed that Rohit might be gearing up for his final appearance at the ODI edition of the ICC event. After facing rejection in India’s 2011 World Cup squad, Rohit has featured in two editions of the 50-over spectacles. The senior batter was the leading run-getter for India in the 2019 edition of the ODI World Cup. Rohit smashed five centuries for India in the 2019 World Cup.
‘This could be Rohit’s last ODI World Cup’
“He (Rohit Sharma) is made for big things and has achieved a lot in his career. In many ways, this could be his last ODI World Cup. He’s been a very close friend of mine. We have literally grown together as players and as people,” Karthik told Cricbuzz. Tasked to end India’s 12-year wait for an ODI world title in 50-over cricket, Rohit, in his maiden ICC event, took the Men In Blue to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year in Australia.
Under his leadership, India also contested the final of the ICC World Test Championship against eventual winners Australia. “He has a lovely family today, is a proper family man, and spends a lot of time in Mumbai with them, but most importantly, he is somebody who always remembers his roots. Even today, his closest friends are the same people who were there with him 20 years ago,” Karthik revealed.
‘Rohit has changed his game so much’
Rohit propelled India to its eighth Asia Cup crown in the lead-up to the ICC World Cup. All of India’s warm-up matches for the World Cup were abandoned due to rain in Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram. India skipper Rohit was rested for the first two ODIs of India’s final series before the World Cup against Australia. The Hitman smashed 81 off 57 balls against Australia in the 3rd ODI at Rajkot.
“He is somebody who has changed his game so much. He was the highest run-getter in the 2019 World Cup. Even if he gets half the runs, I don’t think he will care. He has said himself that he doesn’t care about the runs he gets. It’s all about trying to win this World Cup. The one that he has made sure is to walk the talk. He is always in a hurry to get Team India off to a good start and putting the opponent bowlers to rest,” Karthik added.
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