Rohit, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, moved away from the shortest format after the Men in Blue ended their long drought of ICC trophies by winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. While Rohit and Kohli now feature only in ODIs, the 2026 edition will be the first time Rohit will not take the field in a T20 World Cup. India will begin their title defense against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the team.
During the JioHotstar show ‘Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for T20 World Cup’, the 38-year-old reflected on how different this phase feels. He said missing bilateral matches never hits that hard, but being absent from a World Cup is different.
“We were talking about it at home that it will be strange to watch it from home, especially the T20 World Cup. From the time it started until now, I have been in every World Cup so it will feel different. When you miss a World Cup, the reality really sets in. Then you realize you are not going to be part of it. But I will be in the stadium somewhere. It won’t be the same, but it will be a different experience,” he said.
The batsman also reflected on his stint as captain and stated that leadership at the highest level often requires difficult and unpopular decisions. He stressed that selection interviews before major tournaments were among the most difficult parts of the role. Using examples such as Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the 2022 Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup, Rohit explained how team balance and multi-skill requirements influenced the decisions.
“There have been many such cases where tough decisions were taken ahead of a World Cup. You won’t be able to please everyone but it is important that the individual knows why a decision is being made,” Rohit added.
Meanwhile, Rohit backed the current Indian T20 line-up and pointed out that continuity has worked in their favour. With almost 80-90 percent of the squad unchanged from the last World Cup and an average age of almost 25 years, he believes the team has developed a strong understanding over the past two years.
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