"We weren’t sure if Rohit bhai or Virat bhai would be playing" - Team India star makes huge statement on T20 World Cup 2024 triumph ahead of CT 2025

Indian cricketer Shubman Gill recently opened up about the uncertainty surrounding Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s participation in the 2024 T20 World Cup, following India’s heartbreak in the 2023 ODI World Cup final. The Men in Blue’s dream run of 10 consecutive wins in the tournament was ended by a six-wicket defeat to Australia in the final.

However, the team made a remarkable comeback in 2024, clinching the T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa in the final under Rohit Sharma’s leadership.

In a segment of Disney+ Hotstar's ‘Inside Out with Gill,’ the star batter revealed that, after the 2023 World Cup loss, there was uncertainty about whether Rohit and Kohli would still be part of the T20 World Cup squad the following year. He shared:

“Winning the 2024 World Cup was extremely satisfying. I remember I was practicing in Washington at that time with my best friends and mentors. I watched the last four overs; I didn’t see the whole match, but watching those final overs and seeing us win was such a relief, especially after the previous ODI World Cup.”

“After the World Cup (2023 ODI), we weren't sure if Rohit Bhai or Virat Bhai would be playing in the T20 World Cup, and watching them win that tournament was very satisfying for me. I think with that win, we broke the jinx of not winning an ICC trophy, and I truly believe this is the start of something magical and special for the Indian cricket team," Gill added.

Following India’s triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup, the veteran duo of Rohit and Virat announced their retirement from the shortest format of the game.

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“Having that feeling of losing is something that always stays with you” - Shubman Gill talks about the lasting impact of India’s 2023 ODI World Cup final loss

In the same conversation, Shubman Gill, while expressing his excitement for playing in his second ICC tournament (the 2025 Champions Trophy), reflected on the loss in the 2023 World Cup final. He acknowledged that the feeling of defeat is something that always lingers. The 25-year-old shared:

“Definitely, very exciting to play my second ICC tournament. We came so close in the first one, and just having that feeling of losing is something that always stays with you, so you don’t want to experience that feeling too often."

"That feeling, once you lose, makes you more determined because you don’t want to feel that way again. The way we played that World Cup, there were so many expectations, especially since we were playing in India, and I have such great memories of Ahmedabad. When we lost there, it stayed with me," he added.

In the tournament, the right-handed batter scored 354 runs from nine matches, averaging 44.25, including four half-centuries.