Rohit Sharma makes SHOCKING ODI RETIREMENT claim over 2023 World Cup heartbreak

Former India National Cricket Team all-format skipper, Rohit Sharma, has revealed that he contemplated retiring from international cricket after the heartbreak in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 final.

Rohit Sharma admitted that he was "completely devastated" after India's defeat against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final, and "there was no energy left" in his body.

Everybody was disappointed - Rohit Sharma

November 19, 2023, is regarded as the darkest day in Indian cricket history as a dominant home team, led by Rohit Sharma, suffered a shocking loss at the hands of Australia on that day, in front of the jam-packed crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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The Men In Blue were unbeaten heading into the final, and almost every player had the runs and wickets under their belt. But the Aussies did what they are known for, and pulled off a magnificent victory.

Batting first, India were bowled out for 240 in 50 overs, and with the ball, they tried their very best, but Travis Head switched on his beast mode and took the game away from the hosts.

India lost the match by 6 wickets, and all the players, as well as the fans, were in tears after the loss as Pat Cummins & Co. celebrated on the podium with the World Cup trophy.

Speaking about the defeat at an event, Rohit Sharma revealed how hard things got in his life after that match. He stated:

“Everybody was disappointed, and we just couldn’t believe what had happened. It was a very tough time for me personally because I had put everything into that World Cup, not just two or three months before it, but ever since I took over the captaincy in 2022.”

My only goal was to win the World Cup - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma added that he had to put in a lot of effort to recover and bring himself back on the field.

"My only goal was to win the World Cup, whether it was the T20 World Cup or the 2023 World Cup. So when it didn’t happen, I was completely devastated. There was no energy left in my body. It took me a couple of months to recover and bring myself back,” said Rohit.

The former Indian skipper further stated that he went through a dark phase that every human does after such a huge setback in life, but he was able to quickly shift his focus to the next target - the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024.

“I guess when you invest so much into something and don’t achieve the result, it is a very natural reaction. That is exactly what happened with me. But I also knew that life doesn’t end there. It was a big lesson for me on how to deal with disappointment, reset, and start fresh. I knew something else was coming, the 2024 T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies, and I had to shift all my focus towards that. It is very easy to say this now, but at the moment, it was extremely difficult,” added Rohit.

At one point, I honestly felt like I didn’t want to play this sport anymore - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma also made a bombshell revelation during the event, saying that he wanted to quit cricket after the World Cup final loss.

"At one point, I honestly felt like I didn’t want to play this sport anymore because it had taken everything out of me, and I felt I had nothing left,” said Rohit.

“It took some time, a lot of energy, and self-reflection to get back. I kept reminding myself that this is something I truly love, that it was right in front of me, and I couldn’t let it go so easily. Slowly, I found my way back, putting in the effort, regaining the energy, and getting myself moving again on the field,” said Rohit.

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