A billion Indians’ hearts are broken again, but none more painful than the 11 players who gave their all in the last 45 days. India may not have won the 2023 World Cup and lost to Australia by six wickets in the final, but the way they performed throughout the tournament has been nothing short of a dream. But sometimes, things are just not meant to be, and it was Mohammed Siraj who had tears in his eyes while Jasprit Bumrah tried to console him, KL Rahul went down on his knees, Virat Kohli got his cap off. Had to hide his face as he walked back after Glenn Maxwell scored the winning run for Australia. But the most heart-wrenching sight left captain Rohit Sharma unable to stop his tears. Rohit presented a strong, sporty face and shook hands with every member of the opposition team, congratulated his teammates, but when the dust settled, quietly walked into the dugout. These are big men breaking down. Once again, just an example of how unfair the game can be. This team did everything right, only to unfortunately stumble at the final hurdle. They chased targets till tonight, defended them with equal gusto… emerging like a phoenix after defeats in the first two matches, outclassing India on the biggest stage as a better team.
