new delhi: Former India skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday said watching T20 World Cup from the sidelines for the first time in his career will be a “strange” experience as he reflected on the difficult selection calls and leadership decisions that defined his captaincy tenure.
Rohit and Virat Kohli, the two stalwarts of Indian cricket, now compete only in the 50-over format, having retired from Tests and T20 format.
India will begin the defence of their T20 World Cup title with a match against USA on February 7 in Mumbai.
The 38-year-old said the reality of stepping away from a global event hits harder than missing bilateral matches.
“We were talking about this at home, that it will be strange watching it from home, especially the T20 World Cup. From the time it started until now, I have been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different,” Rohit said.
“When you miss a World Cup, the reality really sinks in. That’s when you realise you’re not going to be part of it. However, I will be somewhere in the stadium. It won’t be the same, but it will be a different experience,” he added.
Reflecting on his captaincy journey, Rohit said one of the most challenging aspects of leadership at the highest level was taking tough selection calls while maintaining trust and respect within the dressing room. “There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. You will not be able to please everyone, but it is important for the individual to know why a decision is taken,” he said.