‘Didn’t want to play’: Rohit Sharma reveals he contemplated retirement after 2023 World Cup final loss

New Delhi: Former India captain Rohit Sharma recently opened up on the 2023 ODI World Cup heartbreak and revealed he considered retiring from cricket after India’s defeat in the final. India entered the 2023 ODI World Cup final after remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament, however, they suffered a crushing six-wicket defeat in the summit clash in Ahmedabad to miss out on the trophy.

It was Rohit’s first ODI World Cup as captain, and the star batter gave it all to realise his dream of lifting the elusive trophy. However, India fell short by a whisker in the end. The Hitman led from the front in the tournament with 597 runs in 11 matches at a brilliant average of 54.27 and a strike rate of over 125, but his heroics were not enough to propel India to glory.

In the final, India’s batting line-up struggled as Australia dominated the proceedings after opting to bowl first. India were skittled out for a moderate 240 runs before the Aussies made light work of the 241-run target, courtesy of Travis Head’s stunning knock of 137 runs. Recalling the heartbreaking defeat, Rohit said it gave him a tough time personally.

Speaking at an event, the former India captain revealed he put everything into that World Cup campaign as he was determined to lift the trophy. However, India’s heartbreaking loss in the final left him shattered. The Hitman revealed it took him a couple of months to overcome the mental struggles after the final loss.

“Everybody was extremely 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,” said Rohit.

“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,” he added.

Rohit Sharma contemplated retirement

Rohit revealed he lost the motivation to play cricket after the 2023 ODI World Cup final loss and even considered retiring from the sport at one stage. The former India captain felt like he had nothing left. However, he managed to regain motivation and led India to glory at the T20 World Cup 2024 a year later.

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

“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,” he added.

As it turned out, the 2023 showpiece event turned out to be Rohit’s last ODI World Cup as captain. However, it didn’t mark the end of his career. Rohit led India to a memorable triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024, before inspiring India to glory in the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year. With two ICC titles in two years, Rohit became one of India’s most successful captains in white-ball cricket.

Rohit announced his retirement from T20Is after the T20 World Cup last year and quit Test cricket earlier this year after being removed from captaincy. He was also replaced by Shubman Gill as India’s captain in ODIs, but the Hitman continues to go strong as a batter in the fifty-over format. The 38-year-old has undergone a fitness transformation and has made his ambitions clear about playing the 2027 ODI World Cup.