Rohit Sharma, the India limited-overs vice-captain, has set his team the target of winning “at least” two of the three upcoming World Cups.

India were one of the favourites for the ODI World Cup 2019, but fell narrowly to New Zealand in the semi-finals, meaning India’s last triumph at a global ICC event was in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Since then, India have fallen short at the T20 World Cups in 2014 and 2016, the Champions Trophy in 2017 and the ODI World Cups in 2015 and 2019, despite reaching at least the semi-final stage in each tournament, and the finals in 2014 and 2017.

“Winning the World Cup is … well, like winning the World Cup – it’s not easy,” Rohit said in an Instagram live conversation with India all-rounder Suresh Raina. “It’s not easy to defeat six-seven different teams and then win the final.

“So the thrill that you get from winning the World Cup is different. Bilateral series, you keep winning a few, losing a few, but World Cup – when you win it, the thrill is higher, but when you lose it, it’s harder to take. It’s why there are so many feelings and emotions attached to the World Cup.”

If you had to pick between Kohli and Rohit in white-ball cricket, who would you pick? https://t.co/nJXqw80QSc

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) May 4, 2020

However, with as many as three ICC events coming up over the next three years – T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2021, followed by the 2023 ODI World Cup, the latter two in India – Rohit senses an opportunity to cap India’s dominance over the last decade.

“We have an opportunity over the next three years, with two T20 World Cups and one fifty-over World Cup (in 2023),” he said. “I’ve said this before, but we need to win at least two World Cups. At least. I won’t complain if we win three, but we have a good team, and I really wish that (we can win two World Cups coming up).”