Former India captain Rohit Sharma said on Wednesday that it will be a “strange” experience to watch the T20 World Cup from the sidelines for the first time in his career as he thought back on the tough selection calls and leadership choices that shaped his captaincy.
The two mainstays of Indian cricket, Rohit and Virat Kohli, have retired from Test and Twenty20 cricket and now only play in the 50-over format. India’s T20 World Cup defence will start on February 7 in Mumbai when they play the United States.
The reality of missing a global event, according to the 38-year-old, is more painful than missing bilateral games.
“We were talking about this at home, that it will be strange watching it from home, especially the T20 World Cup. From the time it started until now, I have been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different,” Rohit said on a JioHotstar show.
“When you miss a World Cup, the reality really sinks in. That’s when you realise you’re not going to be part of it. However, I will be somewhere in the stadium. It won’t be the same, but it will be a different experience,” he added.
As he thought back on his experience as captain, Rohit stated that making difficult selection decisions while upholding respect and trust in the dressing room was one of the most difficult parts of leadership at the highest level.
“There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. You will not be able to please everyone, but it is important for the individual to know why a decision is taken,” Rohit said.
Rohit cited Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from both the Asia Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia as an example of how squad balance and multi-skill requirements frequently affected selections.
“We felt we needed someone who could give us a little more with the ball. That’s why we went with Deepak Hooda, who was in good form at the time. Shreyas would have felt bad, Deepak would have been happy — that’s how it works,” he said, adding that he and head coach Rahul Dravid personally communicated the decision to Iyer.
According to Rohit, similar discussions were also held with players like Yuzvendra Chahal, who was not chosen for the 2023 ODI World Cup, and Mohammed Siraj, who was not picked for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
“For us, it is important to understand how we can make the best use of the 15 players in the squad. As long as you have a valid reason and you explain it properly, that is fine,” he said.
Rohit stated that fostering an approachable and transparent environment was essential to his leadership style when it came to developing relationships with his teammates during his tenure.
“I always wanted an openness to discuss anything, not just cricket but life as well. There are no boundaries; there is always an open door,” he said, adding that a laid-back dressing room attitude was fostered by humor and respect for one another.
Speaking about the forthcoming T20 World Cup, Rohit expressed confidence in the current Indian team, highlighting its youthful core, cohesion, and consistency.
“About 80 to 90 percent of the squad has remained the same since the last T20 World Cup. They have been playing together for almost two years now, which creates strong understanding,” he said, noting that the average age of the group is close to 25.
“When you are heading into a World Cup, the only aim is to win it. For that, you need open conversations and sometimes hard conversations as well,” Rohit added.
