'Rohit and Virat were in tears': Ashwin reveals heartbreaking scenes after India's defeat in World Cup final

Chennai: Skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli were in tears in the dressing room following India’s heartbreaking loss to Australia in the recent ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said.

Australia beat India by six wickets on 19 November in the final to win a record-extending sixth ODI World Cup title.

After the loss, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Indian dressing room and tried to cheer up Rohit and Kohli.

But Ashwin said the dressing room witnessed some heartbreaking scenes.

“Yes, we were feeling the pain. Rohit and Virat were in tears, (and) seeing it felt bad. Anyway, (it was) not meant to be. This team was an experienced side, (and) everyone knew what to do,” he told former cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath on his YouTube channel.

Although India failed to emerge successful in the World Cup, Kohli and Rohit lit up the event up with their explosive batting.

Ashwin heaped praise on Rohit, both as a batter and leader.

“If you take a look at Indian cricket, everybody will be telling you that MS Dhoni is the best captain. (But), Rohit Sharma is an outstanding person, (and) he understands every single player in the team,” he said.

“He knows the likes and dislikes of each of us and has a great understanding. He puts in the effort to know each player personally,” he reckoned.

Ashwin played just a game in the entire World Cup, India’s opener against Australia in Chennai, finishing with figures of one for 34.



Asked why Rohit didn’t include him in the playing XI for the final, he backed the skipper saying it’s not easy to change the winning combination.

“As far as I playing the final is concerned, the team combination and all is secondary. Firstly, it’s about empathy, (and) I keep stressing it a lot.

“It’s like standing in someone else’s shoes and looking at things from his/her perspective. Had I been in Rohit’s shoes, I would have thought 100 times about altering the (winning) combination,” he said.

“It was going alright for the team, so why rest a fast bowler for three spinners?” he wondered

Ashwin said he was prepared for the grand finale, but was not certain about his place in the playing XI.

“Honestly, I understood Rohit Sharma’s thought process. Playing the final is big, (and) I was preparing for three days in the lead-up,” Ashwin said.

“At the same time, I was also prepared to cheer for the side and run in with energy drinks if I was not given the opportunity. I was mentally prepared for that as well,” the spinner concluded.

‘Rohit Sharma does not have much ego’

Ashwin also feels that if all-rounder Hardik Pandya is made the Mumbai Indians skipper, Rohit will “handle it with grace” as the Team India captain “does not have much ego”.

Pandya returned to Mumbai Indians recently after an all-cash deal trade-off with Gujarat Titans, the IPL side he led for two years.

Pandya, who had started his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians in 2015 and won four titles, moved to Gujarat Titans in 2022 and led the side to title triumph the same season, besides helping it finish runners-up in IPL 2023.

The trade-off to bring Pandya back to the MI fold raised several eyebrows, especially in terms of the franchise’s captaincy, which is currently with Rohit.

“Rohit Sharma does not have much ego. He is a great human being and a sound leader. He will handle it with grace (if Pandya is made MI leader),” Ashwin added in the interaction with Badrinath.

“In the history of IPL, apart from the top four to five teams, all have released players. Mumbai and CSK have never done it. I know Hardik to an extent. I see this move as a milestone achievement,” he added.

“The day I lose this motivation, I know it’s over”

Asked about his retirement plan, Ashwin, 37, said the day he loses motivation, he would call it quits.

“I am not being diplomatic, but for four to five years (since 2019), I found myself in a very dark space in life, and took help for mental health as well. In the dark space, I realised I have to be ready for any eventuality,” he said.

“I have been preparing for life after cricket for five years. But I continue to work hard on my cricket; to contribute with the bat, I went to the USA and practised baseball.

“The day I lose this motivation, I feel irritated about waking up in the morning to bowl or bat, I know it is over. I will then quit immediately, say thanks to all and go on to the next chapter in life.”

Ashwin, however, clarified that he has not yet decided on his post-retirement career.

“I am searching for something to do beyond cricket. I am interested in marketing and a lot of other things. But even if nothing else, I can’t stop watching cricket. I am a cricket-tragic. I will do something in cricket and something other than that,” he concluded.