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It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about results: captain Rohit Sharma

Captain Rohit Sharma said that his ambition was to change the team without worrying too much about the outcome after capping his T20I career in Barbados with an elusive T20 World Cup championship.

After defeating South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final to win their second title in the format, the Rohit-led Indian squad put an end to their ten-year ICC trophy drought. Under Rohit’s direction, the Men in Blue lost to Australia in the finals of both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship.

Rohit Sharma with T20 WC Trophy 696x497 1

The daring opening batsman also gave gratitude to former head coach Rahul Dravid, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Jay Shah for their assistance in turning the team around and instilling a culture of fearlessness.

“It was my dream to transform this team and not worry too much about stats and results and also to make sure that we create an environment where people can go out and play freely, without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from my three pillars Jay Shah, Rahul Dravid, and chairman of selector Ajit Agarkar. That was critical for me to do what I did. Obviously, not to forget players who came in at different points in time and helped the team to achieve what we have achieved today,” Rohit said in a video posted by BCCI on X.

At the Ceat Cricket Rating Awards 2023–24 in Mumbai on Wednesday, Dravid received the “Lifetime Achievement Award” while Rohit was named the “Men’s International Cricketer of the Year.” The “ODI Bowler of the Year” went to Mohammed Shami, while India’s batting legend Virat Kohli was named the “Men’s ODI Batter of the Year.”

The 37-year-old batsman scored 257 runs, including three half-centuries, at a strike rate of 156.70 to rank second in the T20 World Cup. He was crucial in giving the team strong starts on the slow surfaces of the West Indies and the USA.

Following the trophy celebration, Rohit and Kohli announced Rohit’s T20I retirement. After teammate Kohli (4188 runs), Rohit leads the format in runs scored with 4,231 runs. The two hitters will still participate in the game’s other formats. The pair last played for India earlier this month in a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka.

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