New Delhi: Former India selector Chris Srikanth On one of the most debated blunders in Indian cricket history, he openly admitted that he still regrets the exit. Rohit Sharma From the 2011 World Cup squad.“I still feel bad for him today. I told Rohit last year, I’m sorry. It’s not on purpose, but it’s just that we want to get half of these all-rounders. Our thought process was the same as the 1983 World Cup,” Srikanth told The Week.
India went on to dominate the 2011 World Cup MS DhoniEnding a 28-year wait since the 1983 triumph. While the victory is one of the country’s biggest sporting moments, it also involved tough selection decisions, with Rohit being a notable exclusion despite his impressive ODI performance at the time.Srikanth explained that the call was not based on a lack of capacity but on the balance of the team. The selectors chose a squad full of versatile players who can contribute both with the bat and the ball. This strategy reflected the 1983 blueprint, where flexibility and depth played a key role.This approach is beautifully played out, especially by the performances of Yuvraj SinghWho became the best player of the tournament with 362 runs and 15 wickets. His all-round brilliance proved decisive in India’s title-winning campaign.“And at the end of the day, who was the best player of the tournament? Yuvraj Singh, with the ball and the bat. In some matches, Sehwag, Sachin and Suresh Raina A few overs will be played. Yusuf Pathan is also half an all-rounder. So what happened unfortunately in all this, the concept of half an all-rounder, Rohit Sharma, poor fellow, could not find a place. He was actually good enough to play in the 2011 World Cup, but the poor boy missed out,” added Srikanth.At the time of his absence, Rohit had already shown promise, scoring over 1,200 runs in ODIs. Although he was knocked out of the World Cup, he later became one of India’s best white-ball batsmen.
