India last triumphed in an ICC competition in 2013, when M. S. Dhoni took home the Champions Trophy. Ten years later, captain Rohit Sharma claims he won’t let his team suffer in the 50-over cricket tournament, which gets underway on Thursday with the match between the current champions England and New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
“Yes, we lost, but that’s okay. I don’t overthink things or put myself in situations where I can’t make a decision. England has recently started to succeed; in 2019, they finally won the World Cup. It occurs. The only consistently successful team is Australia. In 2015, they won their first ODI World Cup since 2007. In Dubai, they won the T20 World Cup, Sharma said.
So, who will take home the Cup? “I’m at a loss for words. How am I going to say that now? I can only hope that the team is doing well. Everyone is in good health. All I can hope for is that. I can’t elaborate further. Space is now a crucial element and such a crucial factor, he remarked.
Sharma emphasized that if the expectations of the fans aren’t too high, he’ll be happy. “We have no influence over what people are anticipating. The phrase “World Cup jeetna hai sir” (You have to win the World Cup) is used everywhere we go in India, including hotels and airports. It occurs all over. It won’t stop, he assured us with a smile.
India’s performance in ICC competitions has been a source of debate. They frequently performed well to advance to the championship rounds, but winning the knockout round is acceptable. Games that matter do occur.
India lost to Australia in the semifinals of the 2015 tournament. The next year, in 2019, they suffered a semifinal loss against New Zealand once more. The team did not go to the final in either of the most recent T20 World Cups, which were held in Australia in 2022 and the UAE in 2021.
Sharma had taken over as captain from Virat Kohli in Australia last year, but the curse had persisted. He acknowledged that he doesn’t want to think in those terms, but he now has the opportunity to leave a legacy.
“The ICC trophy is awarded annually; if you don’t win, the year was unsuccessful! Simply said, what has been accomplished over the past ten months is forgotten. We are expected to win significant trophies since we are the Indian cricket team. One of the best teams in the world is ours. We need to excel at it. It has undoubtedly been disheartening, ” Sharma remarked.
