From Border-Gavaskar Trophy win to near-perfect ODI World Cup campaign: Team India's run in 2023

Early this year, after India's white-ball dominance over Sri Lanka and New Zealand at home, Rohit Sharma & Co. won the 2022/23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy on home soil. They won the first two Tests before losing the third and penultimate tie, in Indore, whereas the fourth game ended in a tame draw in Ahmedabad; taking them to the WTC 2023 final. 

After the BG Trophy, India lost the three-match ODI series to Australia at home in March. India won the series opener, in Mumbai, before losing the second game in Visakhapatnam whereas they lost the series finale, in Chennai, by 21 runs.

India entered their second consecutive WTC final, held in June at The Oval, London. Facing Pat Cummins-led Australia, Rohit & Co. lost by 209 runs to finish second in the 2021-23 cycle. They ended as runners-up even in the first cycle, in 2019-21.

After the WTC loss and tour of West Indies, Rohit-led India won the Asia Cup 2023 edition; held in a hybrid model in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The Men in Blue won their eighth Asia Cup title, beating Sri Lanka by ten wickets in the final. They beat the Lankans twice and also thrashed Nepal and Pakistan whereas their only defeat came versus Bangladesh in the Super 4 round.

India had a near-flawless run in the home ODI World Cup. Rohit-led India went onto play the final on the back of ten wins on the trot. The mega event was held during the festive season in the country and their glorious run delighted one and all. However, India could not end their ten-year-long ICC title drought as they lost to Australia, by six wickets, in the final in Ahmedabad which was played on Nov 19. With this, they were once again so close yet so far. 

The heartbreak led to many senior players taking a lengthy break whereas Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian T20I team thrashed a second-stringed Australia 4-1 in a five-match series at home, soon after the WC. India end 2023 with an all-format tour of South Africa, where they have drawn the three T20Is (1-1) but have their real test with three ODIs and two Test matches still to play. Overall, 2023 was about some big highs but will be remembered for India choking in two ICC finals.