'I am sorry': Former India selector recalls apologising to Rohit Sharma

NEW DELHI: Former India selector Kris Srikkanth has opened up on one of the most debated omissions in Indian cricket history, admitting he still regrets leaving out Rohit Sharma from the 2011 World Cup squad.

“I feel bad for him even today. I told Rohit last year, I am sorry. It's not by purpose, but it's just that we want to take those half all-rounders. Our thought process was similar to that of the 1983 World Cup,” Srikkanth told The Week.

India went on to lift the 2011 World Cup under MS Dhoni, ending a 28-year wait since the iconic 1983 triumph.

While the victory remains one of the country’s greatest sporting moments, it also involved tough selection decisions, with Rohit among the notable exclusions despite his promising performances in ODIs at the time.

Srikkanth explained that the call was not based on a lack of ability, but rather on team balance. The selectors opted for a squad filled with multi-dimensional players who could contribute with both bat and ball. The strategy mirrored the blueprint of 1983, where flexibility and depth played a key role.

That approach paid off handsomely, most notably through the performances of Yuvraj Singh, who emerged as 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 Player of the Tournament? Yuvraj Singh, with the ball and bat. In some matches, Sehwag, Sachin and Suresh Raina would have bowled a few overs. Even Yusuf Pathan is a half all-rounder. So in all these things, unfortunately, what happened, this half all-rounder concept, Rohit Sharma, the poor fellow, could not find a place. He was actually good enough to play in the 2011 World Cup, but poor boy missed out,” Srikkanth added.

At the time of his omission, Rohit had already shown promise, scoring over 1,200 ODI runs.

Though he missed out on the World Cup, he later evolved into one of India’s finest white-ball batters.