Indian captain Rohit Sharma has established himself as one of the finest batters in white-ball cricket over the years. However, the 37-year-old has expressed that not being part of the 2011 ODI World Cup remains one of the greatest disappointments of his distinguished career.
Rohit made his debut for India in 2007 and played a crucial role in the team’s victory at the inaugural T20 World Cup that same year. Although he debuted in ODIs that year and played many matches over the next three years, inconsistent performances led to his exclusion from the 2011 World Cup squad.
In a 2020 conversation with former England player Kevin Pietersen, Rohit addressed a question about his biggest disappointment by stating:
“Not getting picked for the 2011 World Cup squad, that was the saddest moment as it was happening in our own backyard, the final was played at my home ground. “It was due to my performances, I was not at my best.”
Rohit averaged in the 20s during his first three ODI seasons from 2007 to 2009, but improved to nearly 39 in 2010. Meanwhile, under MS Dhoni’s leadership, India won their second ODI World Cup title in 2011, defeating Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai.
Since missing the 2011 edition, Rohit Sharma has excelled in the ODI World Cup
Although Rohit Sharma missed the 2011 ODI World Cup, he has since made significant achievements in the tournament. He holds the record for the most centuries in World Cup history with seven, including five in the 2019 edition, the highest in a single tournament.
In the 2015 World Cup, he scored 330 runs at an average of 47.14 and a strike rate of 91.66 across eight matches. His best performance came in 2019, where he was the leading run-scorer with 648 runs at an average of 81 and a strike rate of 98.33 in nine games.
Rohit continued his success in the 2023 World Cup, finishing as the second-highest scorer with 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and a strike rate of 125.94. He ranks fourth all-time in World Cup run-scoring, with 1,575 runs at over 60 and a strike rate of 105.49 in 28 matches.
Despite his individual accomplishments, Rohit has yet to secure a World Cup title with India, facing heartbreaking losses in the semi-finals in 2015 and 2019, and the final in 2023.
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