Millions of Indians cried along with cricket captain Rohit Sharma on Sunday as he walked off the field, trying to hold back his tears.

After India’s painful wait for glory since 2011, his team lost in the World Cup final to Australia.

In 2027, when the tournament will next be held, he will be 40 years old, so this was his best shot at winning the trophy.

It is still possible for Rohit to play in the next World Cup and try again. Losing at home is painful, but it doesn’t go away quickly.

In 2011, Rohit was not part of the team winning the trophy in front of an overjoyed crowd in Mumbai. When he was excluded from the event, he expressed his disappointment.

On Sunday, it would have been poetic justice if he had won, not just playing in his home World Cup but also leading his team – but that wasn’t to be.

It will not give you the complete Rohit Sharma story from this World Cup. When you look closer, you’ll see a player who had complete confidence in his selfless, fearless style of play.

His performance was effortless. Even in the final, he got off to a fast start. At one point, India were scoring at the rate of 10 runs per over.

Several former Indian cricketers have criticized Rohit for losing his wicket in the finals to a rash shot. This may well be true, but Rohit had already done what he had done in so many matches earlier – he had set up a platform for others to build on. As soon as he departed, the other batters just choked in front of a fierce and tactical attack by the Australian bowlers.