Rohit Sharma admits missing T20 World Cup will feel ‘weird’
Former India captain Rohit Sharma said missing the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time will feel strange, while reflecting on leadership, team bonding, tough selection calls and the importance of transparent communication during major tournaments.
Hyderabad: Former India captain Rohit Sharma said it would be strange feeling for him to miss the ICC T-20 World Cup for the first time in his career and watching it from home.
Speaking on JioHotstar’s ‘Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for T20 World Cup’, Rohit Sharma said that he has been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different.
“When I watch the team playing T20 games, the feeling of missing out isn’t as much. But 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. So it will be a little weird ass a. However, I will be somewhere in the stadium. It won’t be the same and it will be a different experience, but I’m actually looking forward to it. It will be quite amazing.,” he explained.
On having respect among his teammates and building bonds during his captaincy tenure, Rohit said:
“It’s very rewarding to still have that bond with the players, and that is something I have always wanted within the team, an openness to discuss anything, not just cricket but life as well, anything outside the game. What’s going on in life, what’s happening at home, those kinds of conversations.”
” I always wanted to be that person, because I know when you first join the team, it takes time to open up. So, when I’m sitting here or when I go into the team’s dressing room, I never want anyone to feel they need time to open up. I want them to feel they can just come and have a free chat. It shouldn’t be a case of thinking whether they should come and talk. I never wanted that in anyone’s mind.x he said.
” I try to be as open as possible and upfront, and that’s why these guys make fun of me a lot. There are no boundaries; there is always an open door. At the same time, we pull each other’s leg, well, not we, they pull my leg. That’s the kind of environment I always wanted, and I truly enjoy it,” Rohit said.
On togetherness in the team and the Indian squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026, the World acup winning captain said :
“I think togetherness and mutual trust are the most important things. If I’m not wrong, these players have been playing together for almost two years now. There have been a few who have missed out and some who have come in new, but apart from that, I think around 80 to 90 per cent of the squad has remained the same since the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.”
” When I watch the matches, I feel there is a strong sense of understanding within the team, developed through playing together. One positive aspect is that almost all of them are of a similar age, apart from a few exceptions. Otherwise, I think the average age is probably close to 25, which is always good, because you have to have a lot of discussions, a lot of open conversations and also some hard conversations when you are heading into a World Cup, as the only aim is to win it,” hee explained.
” For that, if you have to take certain hard calls where someone you play with, even a close friend, might feel bad, it should be okay. So I think it is very important to create that kind of relationship among players,” Rohit said.
On leaving out Shreyas Iyer from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 squad and the Asia Cup before that, Rohit said:
“There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. I think of Shreyas Iyer during the 2022 T20 World Cup. I still remember that we were playing in the West Indies. Rahul bhai and I always felt that if you are taking such calls, it is important for the individual to know why you are doing it.”
” I remember we called Shreyas near the pool, and Rahul bhai and I both spoke to him about why he was not going to be part of that Asia Cup, followed by the T20 World Cup that was going to take place. We had to explain the reasoning to him. I remember we took Deepak Hooda then, and that was the only spot we had available.” He explained.
“We felt we needed someone who could give us a little more with the ball, because in our top five or six, there were not many players who could bowl. So we wanted players with those multi-skills, and that is why we had to go with Hooda. He was in good form before that Asia Cup and World Cup, and based on the form he showed in the IPL and the way he was batting, I felt he could fit into our plans,” Rohit said.
” Shreyas would have felt bad, Deepak would have been happy, but that is how it works. If someone else takes Deepak’s place in the future, then he would feel bad as well. As long as you have a valid reason and you explain it properly, that is fine,” he said.
On the importance of communication while taking tough selection calls, the explosive opener said:
“For us, it is important to understand how we can make the best use of the 15 players in our squad. We had to leave someone out in the 2023 World Cup, we had to keep someone out in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and we had to do the same in the Champions Trophy as well. Siraj was not part of the 2025 Champions Trophy, so I had a conversation with him and explained the situation to him,” he said.
“.I also spoke to Yuzvendra Chahal when he was not part of the 2023 World Cup. There were several players like this, and we spoke to all of them. I feel it is always good to have a conversation. You will not be able to please everyone, but you try your best to help everyone understand the reasoning behind the decisions,” Rohit said
