Rohit Sharma’s World Cup goals: Victory not century

Rohit Sharma will lead India into the ODI World Cup 2023 with his sights set on nothing but on the title. India enters the tournament as a favorite and packs a star-studded lineup of talented stars.

Team India are in blistering form at the moment and recently extended their Asia Cup title count to 8 with a victory over Sri Lanka in the final. Their quick 2-game victory against Australia at the concluded ODI series also shows some positive signs ahead of this world cup.

Desperation to win the ODI World Cup 2023 from India is not misplaced; the team has failed to win this title for over a decade. The India skipper recently responded to questions ahead of the World Cup, and it was clear where his sights are –a third title for the Men in Blue.

Not Bent on Replicating Previous Performances at ODI World Cup

Rohit Sharma was able to secure one of the biggest hauls ever from an individual batter at ODI World Cup 2019. Sharma accumulated five (5) centuries in nine games, surpassing the record one held by Kumar Sangakkara in 2015.

It’s been 4 years since that time and commentators were eager to know how Rohit plans to approach the 2023 tournament. Asked at a recent interview, the India skipper had this to say:

“I will try to perform well and be in a good frame of mind… But again that was 2019, it’s 2023 now… Yes, I scored five centuries last time, but we also lost the World Cup. So everything should not fall in place like in the 2019 World Cup…,”

He also talked about his desire to win the World Cup even if he doesn’t score a single run in the process:

“I don’t care if I score one or two hundreds or not a single at all, I want to win the World Cup. It doesn’t matter who scored how many hundreds; the World Cup trophy matters. If you can’t win that, it will be a disappointment.”

Can Rohit Sharma Lead India to the ODI World Cup?

Positive signs show that Rohit Sharma can lead Team India to another ODI World Cup title in 2023. The team’s recent Asia Cup 2023 win under his leadership could be a massive boost to their title charge.

Another factor that can directly help Rohit lead India to the title is home advantage. India is the 2023 ODI World Cup host, making it easy for the team to get massive support in all games.

Team India’s current form can also prove vital to support skipper Rohit in this tournament. Stellar gameplay from cricketers like Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj and co. could be the spark the captain desires to secure India a fresh world cup title.

Replicating the victories of 1983 and 2011 is well on Sharma’s agenda, and if all goes well, it could be India’s time this year.

Rohit Sharma Career Stats

Rohit Sharma Batting and Fielding Stats

Rohit Sharma Bowling Stats

India Full Round-Robin Schedule at ODI World Cup 2023