New Delhi, Dec 31
India captain Rohit Sharma bid an emotional farewell to 2024 with a heartfelt video on Instagram. The video, a mosaic of personal and professional moments, provided a glimpse into the rollercoaster year for the 37-year-old cricketer, filled with joy, heartbreak, and unforgettable memories.
The video opened with Rohit celebrating Holi, a festival close to his heart, with family and friends. The vibrant colours and laughter were followed by snippets of his interactions with his wife Ritika Sajdeh, Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, and fans. These personal touches underscored the importance of relationships and connections in Rohit's life.
“For all the ups and downs, and everything in between, Thank you 2024," Rohit posted on Instagram.
Highlights from his cricketing journey also featured prominently. The clip included a snapshot of Rohit posing alongside Rinku Singh, a rising star, and moments from India’s 4–1 series victory against England earlier in the year. A humorous nod to his widely popular “Garden me ghoomne wale bande” social media post added a lighthearted touch to the montage.
A particularly emotional segment revisited India’s triumph in the Men’s T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA. The footage captured Rohit lifting the trophy and celebrating the victory in an open-bus parade in India, carrying his daughter Samaira on his shoulders. The T20 World Cup win was bittersweet for Rohit, as it also marked his retirement from T20Is, closing a significant chapter of his illustrious career.
Rohit shared a poignant picture of himself walking back to the pavilion after dismissal, a stark reminder of his struggles with form in recent months. In the ongoing five-match Test series against Australia, India trail 1-2, with Rohit enduring a rough patch as a batsman. Across three matches, he has managed only 31 runs at an average of 6.20, drawing criticism from fans and experts alike.
India’s crushing 184-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne added to the pressure on Rohit, who has now gone winless in his last six Tests as captain. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy hanging in the balance, Rohit faces mounting expectations to lead India to a comeback in the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground starting on January 3.