Rohit Sharma said India should be the powerhouse of world cricket while speaking at Mumbai Indians’ ESA Day event, framing the country’s recent run of success as proof that the game has entered a new phase. The veteran opener said India had done superbly over the last three years and hoped the winning streak would continue.
Sharma pointed to a string of title-winning campaigns, including the 2024 World Cup, Women’s World Cup, U19 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and another T20 World Cup, as evidence of how far Indian cricket has come. He said the message was simple: India should be the best, and cricket sits right near the top of that ambition.
That ambition rests on a team and a broader cricketing culture that has changed quickly. Sharma’s comments came in the context of India’s recent dominance across major international events, a stretch that has lifted expectations far beyond the results of a single tournament. The former India captain said the progress of the last three years has been superb to watch, and he linked that run to a generation of players that is approaching the game differently.
He said modern players are more fearless and open minded, with young cricketers no longer afraid to take a step forward rather than stay conservative. Sharma argued that this shift is one reason totals that once looked safe now feel vulnerable. When he started, he said, scores of 130-140 were considered good enough, but today they are difficult to defend and any total can feel unconvincing.
For Sharma, that change is not only about tactics. It is about temperament. He said the current crop of players is willing to try things that older generations might have avoided, and that attitude is helping the sport, the league and Indian cricket move to greater heights. His view was blunt: the game has evolved, and so have the players driving it.
He also used the event to shift from elite cricket to the youngest players in the system. Sharma said children between six years and 18 years should not be placed under too much pressure too early. They should enjoy the sport, watch it and play with their friends, he said, adding that this was how it began for him as well.
The advice was notable because it cut against the pressure that often shadows early talent in Indian cricket. Sharma’s point was not to lower standards, but to keep the game alive for children long enough that they want to stay in it. He said the situation should decide what matters at a given time, and no one should be forced into something they do not want to do.
That warning sits alongside the more competitive edge of his remarks. India is already celebrating a period of success across multiple ICC events, but Sharma’s comments suggest the next challenge is less about remembering the trophies and more about sustaining the mindset that produced them. He said setbacks and failures shaped both his career and his personality, a reminder that the route to dominance is rarely smooth.
For now, his message was clear. India has the results, the younger players and the mindset to keep pushing forward. The question is not whether the country belongs among cricket’s leading powers. Sharma says it already does — and he wants the next stretch to make that unmistakable.
