Former India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed how India’s heartbreaking exit from the 1996 ODI World Cup inspired him to become a cricketer. He was only nine years old when India lost the semifinal against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
The match was abandoned after angry spectators threw objects onto the field following India’s batting collapse. Vinod Kambli, who was batting when the match was stopped, was seen in tears as Sri Lanka advanced to the final.
Recalling the incident, Rohit said in a video on Instagram: “This was actually in 1996, when I was nine years old. In the 1996 World Cup that we were playing in India, we lost in the semifinal against Sri Lanka. And it became quite controversial there. We got out, people started throwing things here and there, the match got stopped, and Vinod Kambli ji cried.”
Rohit said the incident made him feel sad and motivated him to represent India one day. He wanted to be in a position where he could help the team win important matches.
“So at that time, I felt extremely sad,” he recalled. “I was nine years old, so I was thinking, ‘Man, I should be in that position one day and help India.’ So actually, from that time, it came into my mind that I should play cricket.”
The veteran batter said he started playing for fun but the sport turned into an obsession.
“So I was nine years old, and from then on I started playing cricket. I used to play with my brothers and sisters, but that was just for fun,” Sharma explained. “But I live in Borivali, so there in the colony, matches used to happen among ourselves.
Rohit recently scored 225 runs in three matches against the West Indies at an average of 75. He will be seen in action in the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
