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Former India captain Rohit Sharma recently shared his thoughts on what it feels like to watch the upcoming T20 World Cup from the sidelines for the very first time. After leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup, he stepped away from T20Is, and now the reality of missing out on a global tournament has truly hit him. 

Rohit, along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, decided to retire from the shortest format after the Men in Blue finally broke their long ICC trophy drought. With both Rohit and Kohli now focusing solely on ODIs, the 2026 edition will be the first time Rohit won’t be on the field for a T20 World Cup.

India kicks off their title defense against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with Suryakumar Yadav taking the lead. 

During an appearance on JioHotstar’s show ‘Captain Rohit Sharma’s Roadmap for T20 World Cup’, the 38-year-old reflected on how different this experience feels. He mentioned that missing bilateral matches never affected him as much, but being absent from a World Cup is a whole different ball game. 

"We were talking about this at home, that it will be strange watching it from home, especially the T20 World Cup. From the time it started until now, I have been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different. When you miss a World Cup, the reality really sinks in. That's when you realise you're not going to be part of it. However, I will be somewhere in the stadium. It won't be the same, but it will be a different experience," he said.

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Rohit also took a moment to reflect on his time as captain, noting that leading at such a high level often requires making tough and sometimes unpopular choices. He emphasized that making selection decisions before major tournaments was one of the most challenging aspects of the role.

He cited instances like Shreyas Iyer’s omission from the 2022 Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, explaining how team balance and the need for versatile skills played a significant role in those decisions. 

"There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. You will not be able to please everyone, but it is important for the individual to know why a decision is taken," Rohit added.

On a positive note, Rohit expressed his support for the current Indian T20 setup, highlighting that the continuity within the team has been beneficial. With about 80-90 percent of the squad remaining unchanged since the last World Cup and an average age around 25, he feels the team has built a solid understanding over the past couple of years.