Ahead of the <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ind-vs-nz-t20is-ishan-kishan-deserves-game-time-before-t20-world-cup-2026-suryakumar-yadav-23612964" rel="nofollow">T20 World Cup 2026</a>, cricketer Rohit Sharma said that watching the global showpiece from the sidelines for the first time will be a strange experience.
Team India's two stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit, are currently active in only one format, the One-Day Internationals (ODIs).
"We were talking about this at home, that it will be strange watching it from home, especially the T20 World Cup. From the time it started until now, I have been part of every World Cup, so it will feel different," he said on JioHotstar show.
"When you miss a World Cup, the reality really sinks in. That's when you realise you're not going to be part of it. However, I will be somewhere in the stadium. It won't be the same, but it will be a different experience," he added.
Speaking on his captaincy decisions back then, the cricketer stated that tough calls need to be taken.
"There have been many such instances of taking hard calls before World Cups. You will not be able to please everyone, but it is important for the individual to know why a decision is taken," he explained.
He also revealed why Deepak Hooda was preferred over <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/team-india-batsman-shreyas-iyer-opens-up-on-his-comeback-journey-to-international-cricket-23597764" rel="nofollow">Shreyas Iyer</a> by Team India's management during the T20 World Cup 2022.
"We felt we needed someone who could give us a little more with the ball. That's why we went with Deepak Hooda, who was in good form at the time. Shreyas would have felt bad, Deepak would have been happy - that's how it works," revealed Rohit.
The "Men in Blue" will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Before the global showpiece, <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/sports/cricket/article/ind-vs-nz-1st-t20i-aakash-chopra-heaps-praise-on-hardik-pandya-23613048" rel="nofollow">Team India</a> will engage in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.&nbsp;
The first match between the teams is scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur
<h2>IND vs NZ T20Is: Full squads</h2>
India: Sanju Samson(w), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Ishan Kishan, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand: Tim Robinson, Devon Conway(w), Rachin Ravindra, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kristian Clarke, Zakary Foulkes.
(With PTI Inputs)

The "Men in Blue" will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign by playing a clash against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium

T20 World Cup 2026 | ‘It will be strange…’: Rohit Sharma on watching the tournament from outside the boundary

IND vs NZ 1st T20I: Mitchell Santner wins toss, elects to bowl first against Team India

The "Men in Blue" will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

T20 World Cup 2026: Rohit Sharma speaks about watching the global tournament from the other side of boundary rope

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