New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) As Ravindra Jadeja scored 10 runs off the final 2 balls of IPL 2023 title clash to give Chennai Super Kings their fifth title at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and trigger ecstasy in the camp, Mohit Sharma was crestfallen over him being unable to take Gujarat Titans over the line.
Before then, everything went right for Mohit in a season which witnessed his resurgence and pick 27 wickets for GT, a side he joined as a net bowler in 2022. Tasked to bowl the final over, Mohit gave away only three runs from the first four balls, before his execution went a little off and it was enough for Jadeja to hit a six and four and help CSK clinch the trophy.
“That was a little difficult. If this was a normal game and there are 70-80 games before that, there will be a lot of games where the equation would be 10 runs in the last 2 balls. So it doesn’t matter if it was the 1st or 2nd innings. It was difficult, because there are some things that leave a mark on you. It was such a thing that left a mark on me, because I had a fairytale time last season,” said Mohit in a round-table chat with reporters, organised by the Delhi Capitals, on Sunday.
But with a warm smile and easy-going demeanour mixed with a philosophical perspective, Mohit remarked he neither has regrets nor complaints over how that night unfolded in Ahmedabad. “It was possible that I could have executed that thing better. 4 balls were executed, 2 balls were not executed. 2 balls were not executed in such a way that the game changed. So yes, if good things happen, I say it was destiny and move forward. If bad things happen, I say it was destiny and go to the nets.
“So I do whatever is in my hands. First of all, everyone said very good things. No one said that one person does not make you lose a game and one person does not alone win you a game. It’s a team game, right? So if anyone comes and blames you that you put the balls wrong, then maybe I would have shown him how my whole season went.
“But that does not happen here, as that scene does not exist here and the scenario was not created. What happened in talks with Hardik, Ashish Nehra, Vikram Solanki, and all the players of the team, everyone said that it was not in our destiny. If we play 100 out of 100, then maybe we will win 95 times and lose only 5 times. So the scenario of losing 5 times, let’s name it destiny and cut the bill, because why get so worried?” he elaborated.
IPL 2025 will see Mohit turn out for the Delhi Capitals, a side he previously played for in 2020 but took just one wicket. Delhi is also the venue where Mohit gave away 73 runs in four overs, the most expensive spell in IPL so far, when Rishabh Pant turned beast mode on to take him for cleaners at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 24, 2024.
At 36, with the twilight of his career nearer, Mohit’s motivation to keep going stems from the habit of playing the sport. “I don’t think motivation is just a word actually. For me, discipline matters a lot in my life. This motivation, self-motivation, or whatever other 10-12 things come, they are limited to one word, that is discipline. Now we have been playing cricket with that discipline for 20-22 years.
“So those things are already inside us. When I was a net bowler at GT 2-3 years ago, a lot of people said ‘net bowler, net bowler’. So I was saying to them that to play cricket, you have to importantly play cricket. I still think it’s the same.
“As long as I am playing cricket, I will do everything that is required to play cricket, and that is what motivates me. I don’t think there is anything other than this. If you are disciplined with your things, then that thing will automatically push you forward.
Mohit’s preparation for IPL 2025 has involved bowling with a new ball and old ball twice in the pre-season camp in Delhi. What’s also taken centre stage is taking really good care of his body – fitness and nutrition wise.
“Not just for strength and conditioning, I would say that as you move forward, you have to take a lot of care of your body. Specially, strength and conditioning is a big part, but the biggest part is diet and how well you carry yourself in it.”
“It’s because our food habits are going somewhere culturally. We don’t know what suits us and what doesn’t and with time, we get to know. So, I am trying to take care of my fitness – strength & conditioning, as well as my diet and food habits. All the cheat meals that I get, I try to avoid them.”
A lot of people in the cricketing circle feel DC have a well-rounded squad in their quest to end the trophy drought, but Mohit stated the side will know its fortune when it hits the ground running.
“On paper, yes (we look strong). But after going to the ground, we will know how we can perform as a unit and how we can execute our plans. I don’t follow the story on paper, because it is a totally different scenario. If you look at the top 10 teams, you will find all of them good.
“If you look at the middle order, you will find that the Indian batters are weak, but the same Indians come out and win your matches. So, the first week will be very crucial for 10 days. We will see how we come out as a unit and how well we can execute our plans.
“We are looking like a very good unit. But at the same time, I will say again that yes, you will have to execute your plans somewhere. No matter how big the player is, he becomes a big player only when he executes his plans.
IPL was the platform where Mohit took 23 and 20 wickets for the Chennai Super Kings in 2013 and 2014 seasons respectively, which eventually got him playing for India, including being a cog in the fast-bowling wheel for 2015 ODI World Cup. He feels IPL has evolved not just him, but the entire cricketing universe.
“You will see it has evolved in every way. Yes, there is a lot of pressure. Earlier, there was not so much pressure whether it was domestic cricket or international cricket. We used to see and play international cricket very little. Either you will play two or three tours and if you are not doing well, then you go out.
“So, now because of the IPL, international cricket is very close to you, which is what I feel. Yes, if you do well in domestic, and IPL, then you can do well in international cricket. Yes, there is an impact. As you said, things happen and evolve with time. So, it has a big role.
Last year, almost all bowlers got hit for big runs as batters went berserk in their strokeplay and batting scores resembled the skyscrapers of India’s metropolitan cities. With a new challenge coming for Mohit, he signed off by emphasising strongly on why pacers need to shed their ego in the IPL and look for execution as their primary focus.
“It’s all about repeating what you have been doing. You have to try to execute that thing better, and in a serious manner. It’s not like I am putting in 20-40% effort in the nets, with the thinking that I am saving myself to execute in the match. That doesn’t get executed in the match.
“If you ask me personally, there is no ego at all. It’s not like if I am a fast bowler or a medium pacer, I don’t want to put in a slower ball. It’s not like I don’t want to throw 150 kmph. That scene is not with me. If it is with someone, I think they should leave it very soon because especially in IPL, there is no ego.
“The first year, the person who is playing the first ball, he hits a sixer and your ego stays there. There is no ego and being a fast bowler, I don’t think anyone should have ego. This is all destiny. You got five wickets, so you should show gratitude that yes, I got it. Today was a good day, and let’s move on to the next day,” he concluded.
–IANS
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