When Rohit Sharma could not believe his eyes in 2007
The vice-captain of the Indian ODI and T20I team, Rohit Sharma, shared the details of an incident from 2007 where he could not believe his eyes. The Mumbai Indians skipper recalled the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa and the scenes in the hotel after India had defeated Australia in the semifinal of the tournament.
During his appearance on the Star Sports Cricket Connected show, Rohit Sharma talked about that fateful day on which he truly realized that he was playing for the Indian cricket team. The right-handed batsman also mentioned that the fans' passion is one of the most significant driving forces for the national team.
I couldn’t believe my eyes as I hadn’t seen anything like this before: Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma disclosed that he realized that he was an Indian cricket team player only after he saw the enormous support from the fans. The Hitman narrated an incident from the T20 World Cup that happened 13 years ago and said:
"You never realize you're playing for the Indian cricket team until you witness the support of the fans. I still remember when we won against Australia in the semi-final in 2007, our hotel was full of fans, and they were all celebrating and dancing."
He further expressed how astonished he was after seeing the fans celebrating India's win over Australia.
"I couldn't believe my eyes as I hadn't seen anything like this before. You always see fans in the stadium, but that day at the hotel, seeing all of those supporters, I felt that it is the fans' passion and love that keeps the team going," he concluded.
While Rohit Sharma highlighted the importance of fans in his recent interview, it is unlikely that he would receive an opportunity to play in front of a packed house when IPL 2020 happens later this year.