India's BCCI secy Jay Shah confidently predicts more world titles for the country

Mumbai: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has high hopes for Indian cricket captains Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur, believing that they will continue their winning streak from the 2024 T20 World Cup and achieve success in the upcoming three prominent world events.

“What next? I would like to remind everyone what I said before the T20 World Cup, that Rohit Sharma will plant the Indian flag at Barbados (final) and he did. When you have 1.4 billion people’s blessings, I can say we will do the same in the (2025) Champions Trophy, (2025) World Test Championship final and (2024) women’s T20 World Cup,” Shah said, while accepting an award for ‘excellence in sports administration’ at the Ceat cricket awards on Wednesday. “I dedicate the award to all our women players, our 2023 ODI runners-up team and the 2024 T20 World Cup team.”

Also present on the occasion and currently on a short break from cricket, Rohit said “it is important to think about what lies ahead”.

The Indian captain expressed hunger to win more big titles. “There is a reason I have won five IPL trophies. I will not stop,” he said. “Once you have tasted winning trophies, you don’t want to stop. We have a couple of big and challenging tours (Australia and England) ahead. I am sure, my team mates will be thinking on the same lines. It will be exciting time for Indian cricket ahead. The next couple of years will be exciting.”

Looking back at the crowning glory in USA-West Indies and the celebrations that followed, the Indian captain got emotional. “It’s a feeling that doesn’t come every day. I thank the nation to have celebrated with us. It meant a whole lot not just to us but the entire nation.”

Rohit’s white-ball batting has undergone transformation, with the experienced batter no longer biding his time in the powerplay and leading the team to blazing starts. Rohit showcased the same aggressive approach he showed in last year’s ODI World Cup in the T20 World Cup and had continued in the same vein recently in the ODI series in Sri Lanka.

“It’s to do with your mind. It is the most powerful thing you have. What you train your mind, it will do that,” he said. “After so many games, you know what sort of game the team requires from you. It was my dream to transform the team and get them to play without thinking too much. I got a lot of help from three pillars – head coach Rahul Dravid, secretary Jay Shah and the chief selector (Ajit Agarkar).”

Stay informed with the latest updates on live cricket score, cricket players, match schedules and ICC rankings. Keep an eye on your favourite cricket team, including the stellar performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Check out the cricket schedule, track team standings and dive into player stats and rankings on Crickit, powered by Hindustan Times website and app.