Rohit Sharma, after being removed as ODI captain, reflected at the CEAT Awards on India’s journey from the 2023 World Cup loss to winning two ICC titles, crediting former coach Rahul Dravid’s strategic planning for the Champions Trophy 2025 triumph.
Team India veteran batter Rohit Sharma, who was recently sacked as ODI captain ahead of the Australia tour, credited former head coach Rahul Dravid instead of Gautam Gambhir for the Men in Blue’s Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year. The 38-year-old made his first public appearance since his removal from the ODI captaincy at the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai, October 7.
Rohit Sharma made his return to international cricket for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, which will begin on October 19. The veteran batter’s last Team India appearance was in the Champions Trophy 2025, where he led the Men in Blue to the title by defeating Australia and New Zealand in the semi-final and final, respectively.
Rohit Sharma was presented with a special moment for leading Team India to the Champions Trophy triumph in March this year, in what was his last tournament as India captain.
2023 World Cup Heartbreak to Champions Trophy Triumph
Speaking at the CEAT Cricket Ratings Award, Rohit Sharma opened up about how Team India managed to bounce from the 2023 ODI World Cup final defeat to Australia to winning the two ICC titles on the trot, the T20 World Cup last year, and the Champions Trophy 2025. The 38-year-old team’s success was built on collective effort rather than relying on a few players.
“Look, I love that team, loved playing with them, and it’s a journey that we were all into for many years. It’s not about one year or two years of work. It was about getting into work from many years,” Rohit said after receiving a special memento.
“We’d come so close to winning that trophy many times, but we couldn’t just get over the line. That is where everyone decided that we need to do something different, and there’s two (ways) to look at it.
“There’s always a thought of doing that and then actually going and doing that. It cannot be done by one or two players. We needed everyone to buy into that thought, which was good from everyone,” he added.
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Rohit Sharma has an exceptional record as a captain at ICC tournaments, winning 22 matches in 23 outings, with a win percentage of 95.65%, making him one of India’s most successful leaders in limited-overs cricket.
Rahul Dravid gets Credit for the Champions Trophy 2025 Triumph
Further speaking about Team India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph, Rohit Sharma highlighted the team’s focus and disciplined mindset throughout the tournament, while crediting former head coach Rahul Dravid for their strategic planning that paved the way for their success.
“All the guys who took part in that competition (Champions Trophy) got into that thought process of how to win games and how to challenge ourselves and not be complacent and not to take anything for granted,” the 38-year-old said.
“Those were the qualities that we tried to bring in, and we thought it was a good method of just going and doing that repeatedly. Everyone enjoyed that process. Once we got over the line when we won the first game, we completely put that game aside and then started focusing on the next one.
“That was really good from the team and that is something that helped me and Rahul bhai when we were planning for the (2024) T20 World Cup, and then on to the Champions Trophy. We just carried it well,” he added.
Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid shared a strong bond during the latter’s tenure as the head coach of Team India. Following the Men in Blue’s 2023 ODI World Cup defeat, the captain-coach duo worked closely to rebuild the team’s confidence, which resulted in winning the T20 World Cup title last year.
Rahul Dravid’s stint as India’s coach came to an end after the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup triumph last year and was succeeded by Gautam Gambhir, who assumed his first national duties in the Sri Lanka tour last year.