NEW DELHI: On that terrible Sunday night in Ahmedabad, Rohit Sharma must have felt incredibly alone as he made his way up the Narendra Modi Stadium's lengthy staircase, shaking hands with everyone who stood in his way.
Such a setback in the World Cup final may have felt like a knife in the chest. He had to get out of that stadium fast.
Even if it seems like everything has fallen apart around Rohit Sharma, Indian cricket team needs him to lead the team for at least two more years in longer forms now more than ever.
Dhoni was a ready substitute for Rahul Dravid when his time as captain ended in 2007, and Virat Kohli was already in place to take over as captain when Dhoni left. And Rohit was prepared to succeed Kohli in the role.
But in a team where the youngsters are years away from taking the leadership role, the selectors will have no choice but to continue with Rohit.
It's clear from listening to coach Rahul Dravid how dedicated he was to his players, which may be why following Sunday's disaster, he appeared to have lost all emotional stability.
"He's been an exceptional leader. Rohit's really led this team fantastically. He's given so much of his time and energy in the dressing room to the boys. He's always been available for any of our conversations, any of our meetings," Dravid said after the match.
1/10:World Cup Final: India vs Australia statistical highlights
Reuters
2/10:Australia
<p>Australia recorded their sixth World Cup win by beating India in the final of the 2023 edition. They have title wins in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2015. </p>Reuters
3/10:India
<p>India became the third team whose only defeat in a World Cup edition coming in the final (10 wins) after New Zealand in 2015 (8 wins) and England in 1979 (4 wins). </p>Reuters
4/10:Travis Head
<p>Australia's Travis Head became the seventh batsman to score a hundred in a World Cup final and the second player to do so in a run-chase after Aravinda de Silva in 1996. </p>PTI
5/10:Man of the Match
<p>Travis Head became the fourth cricketer to be awarded Player of the Match in semifinal and final of a World Cup after Mohinder Amarnath in 1983, Aravinda de Silva in 1996 and Shane Warne in 1999. </p>Reuters
6/10:Elite club
<p>Travis Head's hundred was also the third by an Australian in a World Cup final after 140 not out by Ricky Ponting in 2003 and Adam Gilchrist's 149 four years later. </p>AP
7/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Virat Kohli's 765 runs is the most for any batter in the history of the World Cup. Kohli scored his runs at a stunning average of 95.62 and strike rate of 90.31 to hit three centuries and two fifties. </p>Reuters
8/10:Mohammed Shami
<p>With 24 wickets, Mohammed Shami finished as the highest wicket-taker in only seven matches despite missing the first four games of the league stage. </p>PTI
9/10:Josh Inglis
<p>Five dismissals by Josh Inglis is the most by a wicketkeeper in a World Cup final. </p>Reuters
10/10:Adam Zampa
<p>Adam Zampa became the second spinner to take 23 wickets in a World Cup edition after M Muralitharan in 2007. </p>Getty ImagesThroughout the past six weeks, "Captain Sharma" has delighted us with his audacious top-scoring, astute use of his bowlers, and occasional sprinkle of comedy amid an intense competition. And Rohit never had to strive to be hilarious, just like his easy pull-shots.
And you break someplace inside when you see him broken.
"He's given a lot of his personal time, energy into this campaign. And he wanted to lead by example. Right through the tournament, he was quite superb in doing that. I just can't speak more highly of him as a person and as a leader," Dravid added.
Rohit is currently over 36 and will turn 40 in 2027 when South Africa hosts the World Cup. Maybe he missed his opportunity to win a 50-over World Cup, which his opponent Pat Cummins described as the ultimate sporting event.
However, the Indian cricket officials ought to have Rohit lead the team for the next two years rather than trying to find a quick replacement for him. This would be crucial for Indian cricket before it starts to click another transition button once more.
1/10:ODI World Cup: Best Playing XI
Getty Images
2/10:Rohit Sharma (Captain and opener)
<p>Rohit Sharma gave blazing starts throughout the tournament for the middle order to flourish. He also leads this side as he has led India from the front taking India to the final, becoming the first Indian captain to score more than 500 runs in a single World Cup edition.</p>Getty Images
3/10:Rachin Ravindra
<p>Rachin Ravindra would be Rohit's batting partner up the order. With 578 runs from 10 matches that included 3 hundreds, Ravindra was one of the biggest reasons that the Kiwis reached the semifinals.</p>Getty Images
4/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Who else at the pivotal No. 3 spot but none other than the great Virat Kohli - the highest run scorer in this World Cup, the first batsman to notch up more than 700 runs in a single World Cup edition, the first batsman to score 50 ODI hundreds.</p>Getty Images
5/10:Daryl Mitchell
<p>Both Daryl Mitchell and Shreyas Iyer scored more than 500 runs with 2 hundreds in the 10 matches (before the final) but Mitchell scored more runs than Iyer who had the advantage of playing at home. </p>Getty Images
6/10:KL Rahul (wicket-keeper)
<p>KL Rahul's only hundred in the tournament came against the Netherlands but his unbeaten 97 was worth its weight in gold as it came against Australia when the team was staring at defeat. </p>Getty Images
7/10:Glenn Maxwell
<p>Glenn Maxwell notched up a 40-ball hundred against Netherlands in Delhi and then smashed the only double ton of the tournament - in Mumbai - when Afghanistan were about to register a huge upset against the five-time champions. </p>Getty Images
8/10:Ravindra Jadeja
<p>With his fine left-arm spin, handy batting abilities and brilliant fielding, Ravindra Jadeja is the No. 7 batter of the side. In the 11 matches, Jadeja took 16 wickets and 7 catches in the tournament.</p>Getty Images
9/10:Adam Zampa
<p>Adam Zampa took 23 wickets in the 11 matches Australia played and is at the second spot in the highest wicket-takers list in the tournament. Zampa's 3 four-wicket hauls ensured that the Aussies reached the final.</p>Getty Images
10/10:Jasprit Bumrah
<p>In India's 11 matches, Jasprit Bumrah took 20 wickets that included one four-wicket haul. Bumrah's early breakthroughs with the new ball or his strikes with the old ball reversing trigger batting collapses in the opposition ranks.</p>Getty ImagesGiven his age, Rohit will undoubtedly have to select the bilateral ODI series he wants to play, particularly the ones with the white ball.
He has been India's best batter in Test cricket under all circumstances in the post-COVID-19 era, and the team is in desperate need of him.
The ICC Champions Trophy and the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle will both expire in 2025.
Until then, Indian cricket genuinely needs Rohit Sharma to be its captain and mentor, and this cannot be negotiable.
The cause is that India lacks a ready-made captain for both Test and ODI cricket.
Hardik Pandya has been selected for T20 Internationals, but for ODIs, one must adopt a different mindset. Although Hardik was named deputy during the World Cup, his workload and fitness would always be a concern.
KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah, who did captain India in a one-off Test series and a brief T20 series in Ireland, are the other two options.
However, neither Rahul nor Bumrah have exactly had an experienced captain's appearance.
As the captain of the Kings XI Punjab and the Lucknow Super Giants for a considerable amount of time, Rahul has yet to win an IPL championship.
Along with leading India, he lost all three ODIs and one Test match during their 2021-22 tour of South Africa.
And this is where the issue is. This team has adopted a different playing philosophy thanks to "Captain Sharma," and in order for that to continue, he must be in top form and captain the team in at least two formats.
He needs time to prepare his successor for the hot seat, so the national selection committee and BCCI must grant it to him.
(With PTI inputs)
