My goal is to bring back the IPL Trophy, says Rohit Sharma

In JioHotstar’s special ‘Charche with Rohit Sharma’, the India T-20 World Cup winning team captain said my immediate goal is to win the TATA IPL trophy and bring the glory back to Mumbai Indians

Hyderabad: “Whatever happens, at the end of the day, you must find a way to smile, be happy, and make peace with it. That’s why, as a team at Mumbai Indians, we always remind ourselves to move forward, whether we win or lose,” Mumbai Indians star opener Rohit Sharma said.

In JioHotstar’s special ‘Charche with Rohit Sharma’, the India T-20 World Cup winning team captain said moving on from a loss or a low phase wasn’t easy, but how one motivated himself in those moments and kept a smile mattered. “ Because life doesn’t end here. After a low, the sun will rise again the next day. You have to wake up and find a way to fight another day. If you can move forward with a smile, there’s nothing like it,” Rohit said.

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“We also have several young Indian players with great potential, and I am looking forward to playing alongside them. My immediate goal is to win the TATA IPL trophy and bring the glory back to Mumbai Indians,” Rohit said.

“We understand that winning trophies is not easy. To win the TATA IPL, you have to put in a lot of effort, and many factors need to come together. That’s the challenge of this tournament. You need to win 17 games—it’s almost half a year’s worth of T20 matches but played in just two months. That is the challenge,” Rohit said.

Reflecting on his early days with Mumbai Indians, Rohit, who holds the key to Mumba’s campaign, said since he started, things had obviously changed. “I used to bat in the middle order; now, I open the innings. I was the captain; now, I’m not. Some of my teammates from our championship-winning seasons are now in coaching roles,” Rohit said. “The roles have changed, but the mindset remains the same,” he added.

“When a TATA IPL season ends after two months, and you go back home, you realize you’ve created another family. Playing alongside teammates, creating memories, and winning trophies together—it’s special. I remember after winning the IPL in 2020 in Abu Dhabi, I saw people in tears because we had spent three and a half months together in the bio-bubble, in the same hotel, sharing the same team room,” Rohit said about the bonding in the team.

“It was hard to leave after forming those bonds. Players like Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya bring so much to the team. It’s our responsibility to ensure the environment is fresh, positive, and welcoming. For example, when Tilak first joined, he was very shy. He would sit quietly in a corner,” Rohit said.

“Now, after three seasons, he has taken on a leadership role, ensuring new players feel at home. I see a lot of energy in the team this year. From the time I joined, I have seen a different vibe, especially with the new guys coming in. That’s the essence of Mumbai Indians—everyone contributes, no matter how small, for the team’s betterment,” he explained.

On the Mumbai Indians line-up, Rohit said guys like Trent Boult, who had been here before, bring a lot of experience and understand MI’s culture. “Then we have Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand captain, who adds both experience and class. Players like Will Jacks and Reece Topley bring variety, while Ryan Rickelton is an exciting young prospect.

Each of these players adds something different to the team, and when you bring that together as a collective unit, it makes a big impact,” he said. “My focus is not on just saying ‘we will win trophies,’ but on ensuring we do the right things. If we do that, success will follow,” the champion batter concluded.