Rohit Sharma has made a stunning admission about his mental state following the 2023 ODI World Cup final defeat to Australia in Ahmedabad. Speaking at the Masters’ Union convocation ceremony on December 21, the former India captain revealed he seriously considered walking away from cricket because the sport had “taken everything” out of him. While Rohit has now retired from T20Is and Tests, he continues to play ODI cricket and has his eyes set on one final goal—the 2027 World Cup.​

The Painful Night in Ahmedabad

India’s campaign in the 2023 World Cup had been nothing short of spectacular. The team won all nine league matches under Rohit’s captaincy and entered the final as overwhelming favorites. Rohit himself was in top form, scoring 597 runs in the tournament to become the highest-scoring captain in a single World Cup edition. But Travis Head’s brilliant 137 runs off 120 balls helped Australia chase down India’s total of 240 with ease, shattering dreams in front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium.

“After the 2023 World Cup final, I was completely distraught and felt like I didn’t want to play this sport anymore because it had taken everything out of me and I felt I had nothing left,” Rohit said at the event.

Months of Recovery and Self-Doubt

The defeat hit Rohit harder than most fans realized. He had invested everything into winning that World Cup, not just during the tournament but from the moment he took over the ODI captaincy in 2022. “My only goal was to win the World Cup, whether it was the T20 World Cup or the 2023 World Cup. So when it didn’t happen, I was completely devastated. There was no energy left in my body. It took me a couple of months to recover and bring myself back,” he admitted.

During those dark days, Rohit had to remind himself why he fell in love with cricket in the first place. “It took some time and I kept reminding myself that this is something I truly love, that it was right in front of me, and I couldn’t let it go so easy. Slowly, I found my way back, regaining the energy and getting myself moving again on the field,” he explained.

From Heartbreak to Redemption

Just seven months after that crushing defeat, Rohit found redemption in the most spectacular fashion. He led India to the T20 World Cup title in June 2024, defeating South Africa in a thrilling final in Barbados. India went unbeaten throughout the tournament, ending an 11-year wait for an ICC trophy. Rohit became the first captain to win 50 T20I matches and joined the elite club of Indian World Cup-winning captains alongside Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni.

“I knew that something else was coming—the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies—and I had to shift all my focus towards that. It’s very easy to say this now, but at that moment, it was extremely difficult,” Rohit said.

What Lies Ahead

Rohit announced his T20I retirement immediately after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. He later retired from Test cricket in May 2025 after struggling with form. The BCCI also removed him from the ODI captaincy, handing the role to Shubman Gill. However, the 38-year-old remains committed to playing ODI cricket with one final dream—the 2027 World Cup. His childhood coach Dinesh Lad has confirmed that Rohit plans to retire after that tournament, bringing an end to one of Indian cricket’s greatest careers.