Rohit Sharma picks India's next Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah

Team India ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma recalled the Men in Blue's victory in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados earlier this year.

Rohit Sharma admitted that winning the tournament in Barbados made him "feel alive again" after suffering heartbreaking losses in finals last year.

India ended their long drought of poor results in ICC tournaments by winning the T20 World Cup in June.

They had a flawless campaign and secured a seven-run victory over South Africa in the summit clash in Barbados. It was Team India's second T20 World Cup title, with the first one being in 2007.

The Men in Blue became the first team to win a T20 World Cup without losing a single match throughout the tournament. Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20I cricket after the win. Rohit was part of both the 2007 but the latest triumph is a bit more special to him.

Winning The World Cup Was The Biggest Goal - Rohit Sharma

During the launch of his cricket academy in Rashin, Karjat, Rohit Sharma addressed an excited crowd alongside Maharashtra Cricket Association president Rohit Pawar.

The Indian skipper said that he wasn’t fluent in Marathi but would make an effort to speak it. Rohit then shared how winning the World Cup had been their top priority for the last few months and added that he felt alive again after winning the World Cup.

“I do not speak Marathi that well but I will try,” Rohit told the crowd after taking a short walk on the stage and signing some autographs.

“For us, winning the World Cup was the biggest goal for 3-4 months that we had to win it. After winning the World Cup, I felt alive again,” he said.

India bounced back after a tough loss to Australia in the ODI World Cup final last November. The Rohit Sharma-led side won all 10 matches leading up to the final but suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Australia in Ahmedabad. This was the second major World Cup disappointment under Rohit's captaincy.

Team India suffered a semi-final exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup after losing to England. The India national cricket team also suffered a loss to Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 final under his leadership. They will be hoping to end the red-ball ICC trophy drought next year.

We Are Starting Our Cricket Academy - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma said that they are starting a cricket academy, stating his hope that it will nurture future talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah.

“We are starting our cricket academy here and I will hope that the next Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Jasprit Bumrah will emerge from here,” he added.

Rohit was last seen in action during the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, where India completed a 2-0 whitewash. The hosts won the second Test match despite two days being called off. He is set to play next during the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand at home.

Also read: Virat Kohli's retirement date disclosed by England legend