I'm sorry, boss: Ex-India selector apologises to Rohit Sharma for 2011 World Cup snub
Kris Srikkanth said he apologised to Rohit Sharma for leaving him out of India's 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup squad. He explained that the selectors chose an all-rounder-heavy team inspired by the 1983 Cricket World Cup model.
Former India selector Kris Srikkanth has revealed that he apologised to Rohit Sharma in 2020 for leaving him out of India’s squad for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. Despite Sharma being good enough, Srikkanth explained that the selectors opted for a squad heavy on all-rounders, a strategy inspired by India’s victorious 1983 Cricket World Cup campaign.
Rohit, who is yet to win an ODI World Cup, made his debut against Ireland and had scored over 1,200 runs in about 57 matches before the 2011 snub, including seven half-centuries. One of his early highlights came during the 2007–08 Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia, where he scored 235 runs.
“Poor fellow, he missed it,” Srikkanth said on a podcast for The Week. “I still feel bad for him. I told Rohit one day in 2020, ‘I’m sorry, boss.’ It wasn’t intentional, we just wanted more all-round options. The team was packed with all-rounders.”
Srikkanth added that the selection approach was heavily influenced by the 1983 squad. “If you look at the 1983 World Cup team, Roger Binny was an all-rounder, and the main all-rounder was Kapil Dev. Apart from Srikkanth, Syed Kirmani, and Sunil Gavaskar, almost everyone bowled.”
WHY WAS ROHIT SNUBBED IN 2011?
The strategy proved effective, with Indian all-rounders playing a key role throughout the 2011 tournament. Yuvraj Singh stood out, scoring 362 runs and taking 15 wickets in nine matches to earn the Player of the Tournament award. His performances, despite battling then-undiagnosed cancer, were crucial in several high-pressure situations. Other players such as Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and Yusuf Pathan also contributed with the ball when needed, underlining the team’s all-round depth.
“At the end of the day, who was the Player of the Tournament? Yuvraj Singh—with both bat and ball,” Srikkanth said. “In some matches, Sehwag, Sachin, and Raina bowled a few overs. Even Yusuf Pathan was a utility all-rounder. Unfortunately, because of this all-rounder-heavy approach, Rohit Sharma couldn’t find a place. He was good enough, but he missed out.”
Missing out on an ODI World Cup has been a recurring theme in Rohit Sharma’s otherwise decorated career, and the 2011 omission remains significant. The MS Dhoni-led side went on to make history by becoming the first team to win a World Cup on home soil. Despite this setback, Rohit later established himself as one of India’s most accomplished white-ball batters and a successful captain.
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