I decided not to watch the World Cup in 2011: Rohit Sharma recalls bittersweet memories

By India Today Sports Desk: Rohit Sharma is all set to lead India in the prestigious ODI World Cup in a couple of months’ time. The star batter has played a crucial role in India’s run to the semi-finals of the last two editions of the premier 50-over tournament. in fact, Rohit was the leading run-getter in the 2019 World Cup, with a record-breaking tally of 5 centuries.

However, the 2011 World Cup was a bitter experience for Rohit Sharma. Despite having played a starring role in India’s historic 2007 T20 World Cup triumph, Rohit Sharma did not make the cut to the 2011 World Cup team. The Mumbai batter was seen as one of the future stars in the team but he was snubbed from the squad that made it to the World Cup.

Rohit has often spoken about how disappointed he felt about not being part of the side that went on to win the World Cup under MS Dhoni. As Rohit attended one of the legs of the World Cup Trophy Tour, in Barbados, the ODI captain took his memory back to the bittersweet period during the 2011 World Cup.

“In 2003, India played really well up until the finals. You know, Sachin Tendulkar was amazing with the bat, scored so many runs. And then comes the 2007 World Cup where we didn’t have a great time, and didn’t even qualify after the league stage, so that was quite unfortunate,” Rohit said in Barbados.

“2011 was a memorable one for all of us, I remember watching it from home, every single match, every single ball which was being bowled and that was being played. There were two kinds of emotions, one was obviously I was not a part of it, so I was a little disappointed. I decided I was not going to watch the World Cup, but again, the second memory I remember was that India was playing so well, the quarter-finals onwards.

“You know, the big quarter-final was against Australia. I know how the pressure is on all these players when playing these games. I can only imagine the pressure that each player must have gone through at that time, and then the semi-finals against Australia. It was a brilliant finish by Yuvi and Raina at the end,” he added.

In 2011, India etched a golden chapter in the annals of cricket history by clinching the World Cup title, a feat achieved on home soil. The journey to the pinnacle was marked by memorable matches, particularly the quarter-final against Australia, the semi-final against Pakistan, and the final against Sri Lanka.

The quarter-final clash with Australia on March 24, 2011, was a high-voltage encounter. Australia set a target of 261 runs, led by Ricky Ponting’s century. Despite losing early wickets, India’s middle order, including Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli, steadied the ship, leading India to a five-wicket victory with 14 balls to spare.

The semi-final against Pakistan was another nail-biter. Played on March 30, 2011, at Mohali, India posted a modest total of 260. However, a collective bowling effort saw each of the five bowlers, including Yuvraj Singh, bagging two wickets each, restricting Pakistan to 231. Sachin Tendulkar, with his gritty 85, was declared the man of the match.

The final against Sri Lanka on April 2, 2011, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, was a roller-coaster ride. Sri Lanka batted first, setting a challenging target of 275, thanks to Mahela Jayawardene’s century. India had a shaky start, losing Sehwag for a duck and Sachin Tendulkar early. However, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni steadied the innings with their respective scores of 97 and 91 not out. Dhoni’s match-winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara is etched in every Indian cricket fan’s memory, marking the end of a 28-year wait for the World Cup.