'For every 19 November, there is a June 29' - Rohit Sharma on India's World Cup journey

Former India captain Rohit Sharma has opened up about the heartbreak of losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final at home, describing it as the toughest phase of his cricketing career. The veteran batter also explained how the defeat against Australia fuelled a renewed sense of desperation and hunger within the Indian team, which eventually helped them win the 2024 T20 World Cup.

India entered the 2023 World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after winning all 10 of their previous matches in the tournament. However, Pat Cummins and his team produced a memorable performance to end India's unbeaten run, with Travis Head scoring a match-winning century to guide Australia to the title.

The defeat was particularly painful for the Indian team, which had dominated the tournament on home soil. However, the setback also became a turning point in their white-ball journey. India went on to win the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, before securing another T20 World Cup title in 2026 under Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy.

Speaking on his programme Family Full House with Rohit Sharma, the former India skipper reflected on the emotional impact of the 2023 final and compared it with the difficult periods he had experienced earlier in his career.

"Actually, mere saare cricketing career mein sabse tough period tha ye. 2007 se lekar main abhi tak khel raha hoon. 19 saal ho gaye. Aur 19 saal mein maine aisa time kabhi bhi nahi dekha apne khud ke liye. Ek time tha Sri Lanka mein 2012 mein, jab main kaafi kharaab tareeke se khel raha tha aur main apne aap pe bahut frustrated tha. Lekin woh mera apna goal tha. Lekin ye 19 November mera nahi, but hamare poore desh ka goal tha ki hum World Cup jeete.

(This was actually the toughest phase of my career. I have been playing for 19 years and I had never experienced anything like this before. At one point in 2012, I was playing really badly in Sri Lanka, and I was really frustrated with myself, but that was my goal. But on November 19, it was the goal of the entire nation that we win the World Cup)."

Rohit Sharma explains why India's 2023 World Cup final defeat hurt so much

Rohit highlighted that the loss was especially difficult because India were playing in front of their home crowd and had looked almost unstoppable throughout the tournament. The former captain admitted that the team's dominant performances had made the eventual defeat even harder to accept.

He also acknowledged that such setbacks are part of sport, where even the strongest teams can suffer unexpected disappointments despite doing most things right.

“Aur kharaab isiliye laga kyunki hum India mein World Cup khel rahe the aur hum aise khel rahe the ki kabhi laga nahi tha ki hum haar sakte hain. But ye hi hota hai sports mein, jab aapko lagta hai ki sab kuch sahi chal raha hai, tabhi kahin na kahin ek adchan aa jaati hai jo aapko neeche daal deti hai. Toh ye humein sports se seekhne milta hai, ye sab cheezein.”

(It felt really bad because we were playing so well that it never seemed like we would lose. But that is sport. Just when you think everything is going well, something goes wrong and pushes you down. This is what we have learnt from sport).

Rohit Sharma reveals how 2023 World Cup heartbreak fuelled India's T20 World Cup triumph

Looking back at the defeat, Rohit believes the disappointment taught the team valuable lessons and helped them approach the 2024 T20 World Cup with a different mindset. According to him, the hunger to win the trophy was far greater after the setback in Ahmedabad.

Jaffer backs Rohit for ODI captaincy retention

Read More

Jaffer backs Rohit for ODI captaincy retention

He explained that the players carried a renewed sense of purpose into the tournament in the West Indies and the United States, with the disappointment of the previous year strengthening their determination to end India's ICC trophy drought.

“Lekin uss cheez se mujhe seekhne ke liye bhi bahut kuch mila. Agar woh hota nahi, toh shayad hum 2024 mein T20 World Cup na jeet te. Woh desperation aur woh hunger shayad 2024 ke T20 World Cup mein na aata. I think failure aapko success se zyada cheezein sikhata hai. Toh I think uss failure ke baad se team aur zyada desperate ho gayi. Mujhe abhi bhi yaad hai jab West Indies aur US mein ye World Cup tha 2024 ka aur jab hum wahan pahunche, mujhe sab logon mein jo ek energy aur jo desperation dikh raha tha, woh kaafi alag tha.”

(But I learnt a lot of things from the loss. Maybe that desperation and hunger would not have been visible in the T20 World Cup in 2024. Failures teach you way more things than success. I remember during the T20 World Cup in West Indies and US, I could see that desperation and energy, which was very different.)

India eventually ended their 11-year wait for an ICC trophy by defeating South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados on June 29. Rohit, who led the side to the title, reflected on the journey from the disappointment of Ahmedabad to the celebrations in Barbados with a memorable line.

“Har ek 19 November ke liye ek 29 June toh aata hi hai.” (For every 19 November, there is a June 29).

The remark captured the emotional contrast between India's defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final and their triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, a victory that brought an end to the team's long wait for an ICC title.