Team India’s Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma recently opened up on the struggles that he faced while building a cricket career. He also recalled the early days of his journey, which involved a lot of travelling in Mumbai, with him being unsure of whether he would make it. Coming from a humble background, Rohit Sharma has gone on to establish himself as one of the biggest superstars of cricket as well. Recently, he led the Indian team to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup as well.

During an interview on Jitendra Chouksey’s podcast, Rohit Sharma said (as quoted by ANI): “The sport has got so many demands, be it travelling, learning the skills, fitness, training. In Mumbai, if you want to be a cricketer, you want to travel–2 hours of travelling by train, 5 to 6 hours of playing, then travelling back–you do not know whether you will get a seat. It did take a toll on me physically and mentally. But I enjoyed that, and that hard-yards made me tough–that is what made me today and help to make tough decisions these days.”

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However, one of India’s most experienced cricketers, Rohit Sharma has played 485 matches for the team across the three formats, scoring 19,245 runs at an average of 43.15, with 48 centuries and 106 half-centuries as well.

“We played in our building, in the society. There is a shortage of space in Bombay. You just have to manage with whatever you have. I started playing with all my friends, school friends at times. Building friends are with who I played for fun. I never knew it would become like this. When I was nine years old, I started. 28-29 years have gone by with me playing cricket,” Rohit Sharma concluded.