‘Honestly felt like didn’t want to play cricket anymore’:Rohit Sharma breaks silence on 2023 World Cup heartbreak; says, ‘I was completely devastated’

The moments after losing a World Cup final are often the hardest for any cricketer. The noise fades, the celebrations belong to someone else, and a heavy silence takes over. For Rohit Sharma, that silence lingered much longer than expected. The Indian captain has now spoken honestly about the emotional toll of the loss and the personal struggle that followed. Walking past the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy during the medal ceremony was not just a painful image, but a reflection of a journey that ended in disappointment. For Rohit, it was not about one bad night, but about a dream built over years that slipped away in a single evening. Speaking at an event, Rohit shared how deeply the defeat affected him, revealing a side rarely seen from a seasoned leader. Also read: Hat-trick of wins over Pakistan to Rohit, Virat’s Test retirement: First ICC title for women’s team, 2025 Indian cricket recap Rohit Sharma opens up on 2023 World Cup heartbreak “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,” Rohit said. His words show that the World Cup was not just another tournament. It was a responsibility he carried from the day he became captain. The loss did not just hurt the team, it weighed heavily on him as a leader. “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. This was not a short phase of disappointment. It was a complete emotional shutdown that took time to heal. Also read: Why Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out of T20 World Cup squad?: Shubman Gill excluded due to lack of form; Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh included for ICC tournament ‘I was completely devastated’ – Rohit Sharma “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,” Rohit explained. He admitted that shifting focus to the 2024 T20 World Cup was extremely difficult at that moment. “It is very easy to say this now, but at the moment, it was extremely difficult,” he said. Former India captain shares thoughts on retirement Perhaps the most striking admission came when Rohit spoke about burnout. “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 revealed. However, the comeback was slow and real. “It took some time, a lot of energy, and self-reflection to get back… Slowly, I found my way back, putting in the effort, regaining the energy, and getting myself moving again on the field,” Rohit concluded.