5 times cricketers cried after a World Cup loss ft. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
"It's important to allow yourself to feel in that moment ... But after you get your ugly cries out in the shower, there's always another game," says the famous sporting quote.
However, the "there's always another game" phrase doesn't exist for a World Cup-eliminating defeat. It is much harder for sportspeople to come to grips with. Considering the World Cup is the biggest dream for a cricketer, a heartbreaking loss to be ousted or losing in the final hurdle brings even the best to tears.
Often, the more accomplished the cricketer, the greater the pain for several reasons, often because it might be the last missing piece in a stellar resume. The advent of the T20 format and the World Test Championship has helped reduce the longing for a missed opportunity. However, cricketers still cannot bear painstaking defeats in ODI World Cups.
With that said, let us revisit five occasions when cricketers cried after a World Cup defeat.
#1. Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma - 2023 ODI World Cup
Two of India's all-time greats, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, were seen shedding tears following the team's 2023 ODI World Cup final defeat to Australia.
The duo has suffered innumerable heartbreaks over the past decade since the 2013 Champions Trophy. The Men in Blue have often stumbled in the final stages of an ICC tournament since then.
Coming to this year's edition of the tournament, Kohli and Rohit were the top two leading run-scorers with 765 and 597 runs, respectively. Their heroics led India to win nine consecutive games in the league stages and the semi-final against New Zealand.
However, as has become the common theme in Indian cricket, the side stuttered in the grand finale and failed to complete the mission. They lost against Australia by six wickets. With the duo at the backend at 35 and 36, the tears perhaps stemmed from the thought of possibly not having a chance to win an ODI World Cup.
While Kohli does have a solitary 50-over World Cup title in 2011, Rohit remains empty-handed.
In a recent interview with S Badrinath, Ravichandran Ashwin, part of the Indian squad, shared how hurt he was at watching the two stalwarts of Indian cricket in tears.
#2. MS Dhoni - 2019 ODI World Cup
Another Indian legend, MS Dhoni, suffered a sad ending to his illustrious international career when the side lost to New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final.
India's hopes in the game and the tournament ended when the former skipper was dismissed run-out on 50 with 24 needed off nine deliveries. Like the 2023 edition, the Men in Blue romped through the group stages, winning all but one match before the shocking semi-final defeat.
Dhoni was visibly disconsolate after his dismissal. However, the then-head coach Ravi Shastri and batting coach Sanjay Bangar later revealed how the champion cricketer cried like a kid.
Ultimately, the game became Dhoni's final international match, with the wicket-keeper-batter announcing his retirement a year later.
Two IPL titles in 2021 and 2023 later, the run out of one of India's favorite sons in 2019 still brings back painful memories for Dhoni fans. Fortunately, he has experienced the ultimate joy several times, winning the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup as captain.
#3. AB de Villiers - 2015 ODI World Cup
Almost the entire cricketing world sympathised with South Africa and its captain, AB de Villiers, during their tearful end to the 2015 ODI World Cup.
Haunted by their turbulent past of World Cup heart-breaks, the 2015 Proteas outfit looked driven to break through and clinch their elusive title. Their first win in a World Cup knockout came in the form of a demolition of Sri Lanka in the quarter-final.
The AB de Villiers-led side then set co-hosts New Zealand a massive 298 in 43 overs in the semi-finals. However, an inspired Kiwi side hunted the target down with a penultimate ball six to bring down the curtains on South African dreams.
Several Proteas' players laid flat on the field in uncontrollable tears, including skipper De Villiers. The team walked away in one of the more painful scenes witnessed in cricket history.
The now-retired champion cricketer had a tournament to remember, scoring 482 runs at an average of 96.40 and a strike rate of 144.31.
#4. Shaun Pollock - 2003 ODI World Cup
South Africa and painful World Cup endings have been a common theme since their reinstation in 1991. Yet, it would be hard-pressed to find a more bizarre way to exit a home tournament like the Proteas did in 2003.
South Africa entered the World Cup heavy favorites alongside Australia after having come tantalizingly close in 1999. However, they endured a couple of painful defeats against the West Indies and New Zealand in Pool B.
They came into their final pool game against Sri Lanka in a must-win situation to qualify for the Super Sixes. However, in a dramatic climax with heavy rain splashing down, a horrific miscalculation of the Duckworth-Lewis scores ended their campaign. South Africa were left one run behind the target after 45 overs.
The players went off the field with the rain intensifying and never returned as the Proteas shockingly bowed out of the home World Cup.
South African Skipper Shaun Pollock could not believe his eyes and had his hands on his head in tears.
#5. Vinod Kambli - 1996 ODI World Cup
Vinod Kambli walking back in tears during the 1996 ODI World Cup semi-final against Sri Lanka in Kolkata is one of the most infamous scenes in Indian cricket.
Chasing 251 for victory in the ever-deteriorating Kolkata wicket, the Indian batting collapsed from 98/1 to 120/8. It led to fans at the Eden Gardens stands causing a riot. It forced the rest of the match to be abandoned, with Sri Lanka being awarded winners by default based on the game situation.
Despite the target being a mile away, Kambli, batting on 10*, realized India's home World Cup dreams were over and cried unbearably in walking off the field.