Into his first ICC event as the full-time captain of the Indian cricket team, Rohit Sharma has a big responsibility on his shoulders. The Hitman has done wonders in the Indian Premier League and other events as a captain but the T20 World Cup 2022 is a challenge of unprecedented levels. It might be Rohit's first World Cup as a captain, but the star batter has the experience of winning a T20 World Cup under his belt, having been a part of MS Dhoni's T20 World Champions' squad in 2007.
Rohit had received the nod for the 2007 ICC World T20, the inaugural edition of the tournament, that India went on to win under Dhoni's leadership. But, in comparison to the current situation, Rohit hadn't expected much from himself and was just looking to enjoy himself on the biggest stage.
"When I was picked for that World Cup I did not go with any expectations about myself," Rohit said in Melbourne while on Saturday while sitting with 15 other captains who are in Australia for the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup.
"I just wanted to enjoy the tournament and play the tournament as it was my first ever World Cup. I had no understanding of what it was like to be part of a World Cup and how big it was going to be until we actually won the World Cup," he added.
Rohit also opened up on the way the T20 format has evolved over the years during the chat.
"It has been a long journey and the game has evolved so much," Rohit reflected. You can literally see how it is played now compared to what it was like in 2007. 140 or 150 was a good score back then and now people try and get that score in 14 or 15 overs."
It was under Virat Kohli that Team India had participated in the T20 World Cup last year and were knocked out in the group stage itself. With Rohit at the helm, the target is to go all the way once again.