(Image source from: AFP)
India's cricket star Rohit Sharma, during his first public outing after being removed as the ODI captain, did not mention head coach Gautam Gambhir while discussing the Champions Trophy victory from earlier this year. Instead, he attributed the success to the strategies developed during Rahul Dravid's time as coach, commending the team for adopting the philosophy of the former captain-coach duo. With Rohit and Dravid at the helm, India managed to recover from the upsetting defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final held in Ahmedabad, going on to secure two ICC trophies - the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. "I really care for that team and enjoyed playing with them. It’s been a long journey for all of us over the years. This isn't about just one or two years of effort; it's about the hard work we have put in over time," Rohit mentioned.
"We had been very close to winning that trophy on several occasions, but we always just fell short. That’s when everyone agreed we needed a new approach, which can be viewed in two ways. You can think about it, and then there’s the action of actually doing it. It cannot rely on just one or two players. We needed everyone's commitment to this idea, and it was really positive from the whole group," Rohit explained. The 38-year-old, who received a special award for leading India to the Champions Trophy win at the 27th CEAT Cricket Rating awards in Mumbai on Tuesday, also shared insights about the team’s mindset during the two ICC tournaments. "All the players involved in the Champions Trophy got on board with the idea of figuring out how to win games, pushing ourselves, avoiding complacency, and taking nothing for granted," he stated.
"We aimed to nurture those qualities and felt it was effective to keep applying that consistently. Everyone enjoyed being a part of that journey. After we won the first match, we completely set that game aside and shifted our focus to the next one. This was excellent from the team and crucial for planning with Rahul bhai for the T20 World Cup in 2024 and subsequently the Champions Trophy. We managed that well. In 2023, even though we didn’t clinch the finals, we aimed to accomplish something as a team, and everyone contributed towards that goal," he added.
It is important to note that Dravid's time as coach finished after India won the T20 World Cup in 2024, and Gambhir took over the position in July of last year. Therefore, he was the head coach when India triumphed in the Champions Trophy in Dubai earlier this year. The reason why Rohit did not mention Gambhir in his speech in Mumbai is still uncertain; however, it is thought that the former World Cup champion played a significant role in Rohit's removal as ODI captain. A report from PTI on Sunday stated that both Gambhir and the head selector of BCCI, Ajit Agarkar, believed it was time for a younger leader to step in before the 2027 World Cup, while also questioning Rohit's future in India's long-term ODI plans. Nevertheless, Rohit is eager to show his abilities as he prepares for the series in Australia, where India will play three ODIs starting on October 19.
"I took great pride in trying to perform well in all three formats whenever I could, and a few others did the same, which positively influenced the team," Rohit expressed. "I really enjoy competing against them. I love visiting Australia; it's quite a tough place to play cricket. The fans there are passionate about the game," he mentioned regarding the tour to Australia. "But certainly, facing Australia always presents a unique challenge. Having visited several times, I have a good sense of what to expect. I hope we can go there and achieve what the Indian team is meant to do and secure a favorable outcome," he added.
