Former BCCI chief selector K Srikkanth has finally revealed the reason for Rohit Sharma's exclusion from the victorious 2011 ODI World Cup squad. Srikkanth explained the decision was based on the team's preference for additional all-rounders to ensure balance, a choice that led to Piyush Chawla being selected over Rohit.
Former BCCI chief selector K Srikkanth has finally broken the silence over the selection committee’s decision to drop Rohit Sharma from the Team India squad for the 2011 ODI World Cup.
The Men in Blue, led by MS Dhoni, ended a 28-year drought of ODI World Cup glory in 2011 by defeating Sri Lanka in the final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Ahead of the marquee event, the major topic of discussion was the exclusion of Rohit Sharma, who himself expressed his disappointment over his non-selection to the India squad for the World Cup on X (formerly Twitter).
When the young players like Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, and Piyush Chawla were picked, alongside seasoned stars like then captain MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, and others, the exclusion of Rohit Sharma sparked widespread debate and criticism, with many questioning the selection committee’s decision ahead of India’s eventual 2011 World Cup triumph.
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Why Rohit Sharma Was Excluded from the 2011 WC Squad?
15 years after Team India’s historic 2011 ODI World Cup triumph, former BCCI chief selector K Srikkanth finally revealed the reason behind the exclusion of Rohit Sharma from the 15-member squad.
Speaking to renowned sports journalist Ayaz Memon on The Week podcast, the former India opener admitted that he feels bad even today about the decision, stating that selection was based on the team balance and the preference for additional all-rounders, which led to Rohit’s exclusion from the squad.
“I feel bad for him even today. I told Rohit last year, I'm sorry, boss. 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,” K Srikkanth said.
“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,” he added.
It was reported that the 15th player for the India squad was boiled down between Rohit Sharma and Piyush Chawla, with selectors ultimately backing Chawla for the final squad due to team balance and the preference for bowling depth and all-round utility options.
‘Rohit Sharma Was Actually Good Enough to Play’
Further speaking on Rohit Sharma’s exclusion from the India squad for the 2011 World Cup, K Srikkanth reiterated that the batter was fully capable of playing in the tournament but missed out purely due to team combination choices, especially preference for extra all-rounders.
Former India opener admitted Rohit’s disappointment of missing the World Cup and personally apologised to Rohit, admitting he was always good enough to be part of the World Cup squad.
“So in all these things, unfortunately, what happened, this half all-rounder concept, Rohit Sharma got, poor fellow, he could not find a place,” the former BCCI chief selector said.
“I'm just saying, if you ask Rohit even now, every interview he'll say my biggest disappointment is not being a part of the 2011 World Cup.
“In fact, I told him straight in his face. Boss, sorry, boss. I know I've seen all your interviews. You keep on saying I missed the 2011 World Cup. My apologies. We didn't do it on purpose,” he concluded.
After missing out on the selection for the 2011 World Cup, Rohit Sharma featured in the next three editions of the tournament in 2015, 2019, and 2023, and is currently the fourth leading run-getter of the marquee event, amassing 1575 runs, including seven centuries and six fifties, at an average of 60.57 and a strike rate of 105.49 in 28 matches.
In 2023, Rohit Sharma led Team India to the World Cup final, but heartbreakingly lost to the six-time champions Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
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