Indian captain Rohit Sharma recently credited India’s T20 World Cup triumph to “three pillars” who he believes were instrumental in India’s victory last month. Speaking on Wednesday, Sharma paid his tribute to the three pillars. He not only celebrated this recent achievement but also issued a stern warning to world cricket, expressing his determination to replicate the success in the upcoming Champions Trophy and World Test Championship (WTC) finals next year.
India’s victory
On June 29, Rohit Sharma etched his name in history by becoming the first Indian captain in 17 years, after MS Dhoni, to lead the nation to its second T20 World Cup title. This victory marked India’s first ICC trophy in 11 years and the country’s maiden world title in 13 years. Following this monumental win, Sharma was named the Men’s International Cricketer of the Year at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai, where he took a moment to credit the significant contributions of former head coach Rahul Dravid, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, and BCCI secretary Jay Shah. These three individuals, Sharma emphasized, played a crucial role in India’s resurgence after the heart-wrenching loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup final on home soil.
Reflecting on his journey and leadership, Sharma remarked, “It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about the stats, the results, to make sure that we create that environment where people can go out there and play freely without thinking too much. That is what was required. I got a lot of help from my three pillars, who are actually Mr. Jay Shah, Mr. Rahul Dravid, and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar. That was very critical for me to do what I did and obviously not to forget the players, who came in at different points in time and helped the team achieve what we achieved.”
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“There is a reason I won five IPL trophies”
As India pivots its focus towards ODI cricket in preparation for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the WTC final in 2025, Rohit Sharma made it clear that his appetite for success remains unquenched. With five IPL trophies under his belt, Sharma hinted at his relentless pursuit of more silverware, stating, “There is a reason I won five IPL trophies. I’m not going to stop, because once you get the taste of winning games, winning Cups, you don’t want to stop and we’ll keep pushing as a team. We’ll keep striving for better things in the future.”
India’s road to the Champions Trophy, however, has been fraught with challenges. The team began their preparation on a shaky note, suffering a 0-2 loss against Sri Lanka earlier this year, which marked new head coach Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment in the format. The final ODI series before the ICC tournament will be a crucial one, scheduled in February 2025 against England on home soil.
In the Test arena, India faces a demanding schedule ahead. Starting on September 19, the team will engage in 10 Tests, with five at home against Bangladesh (two matches) and New Zealand (three matches), followed by the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar series in Australia in December. As the current table-toppers in the WTC standings, India must maintain their formidable home record, aiming for a 5-0 sweep across the series against Bangladesh and New Zealand to secure their place in the WTC final, regardless of their performance against Australia.
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