Having missed out on the opportunity to represent India at the 2011 World Cup, Rohit Sharma found himself leading the national team at the Narendra Modi Stadium, facing Australia in the championship clash. The moment held deep emotional significance for Rohit, as it took time for him to move past the disappointment of being snubbed in 2011. Speaking to former India head coach Ravi Shastri at the toss just before the final began, Rohit acknowledged that this was a ‘dream come true’ moment for him.

In a face-off where Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, won the toss and chose to field, Rohit revealed that, had he won the toss, he would have elected to bat. Expressing his thoughts, he said,

“I would have batted first. Looks like a good pitch, big game, put runs on the board. It’s going to be amazing, every time we play here, the crowd comes out in large numbers. The biggest occasion of the cricketing event. We have to stay nice and calm.”

When Ravi Shastri inquired about his journey from 2011 to 2023, Rohit shared that captaining the team in the final was a dream realized.

“It’s a dream come true to be captaining the team in the final. I know what lies in front of us. We need to play well and get the result. You’ve got to make the right decisions on the field. That’s something we’ve done consistently in the last 10 games. We’re playing the same team,” he expressed.

In a prelude to the match, Cummins mentioned that Australia was maintaining the same lineup as the semi-final against South Africa.

“We are gonna have a bowl first. Looks like a dry wicket. Dew is a factor. It gets better to bat on. Tough start to the tournament, haven’t really put a foot wrong ever since. It’s all set up perfectly. We’ve played these guys a lot. Same team as the semi-final,” stated the Australian skipper.