For DC’s Mohit Sharma, it is all about bouncing back
New Delhi: Mohit Sharma, then playing for Gujarat Titans, recorded the worst bowling figures in IPL history in the 2024 match against Delhi Capitals. He was carted for 73 runs in his four overs, including 30 runs off his last over.
₹2.20 crore at the IPL mega auction for 2025. (HT)” title=”Mohit Sharma was bought by Delhi Capitals for ₹2.20 crore at the IPL mega auction for 2025. (HT)” />As luck would have it, the 36-year-old was picked up by Delhi Capitals for ₹2.20 crore at the IPL mega auction for 2025. You might attribute the buy to the vagaries of the auction, but it also goes to show that even the best players will have bad days in the T20 format. However, what truly matters is how they respond to that.
And that is something Mohit is a professional at. He’s seen it all — from playing Ranji Trophy to finding favour with MS Dhoni at CSK and finally finding a place in the Indian team. It was a heady ride but then came the downturn. Loss of form saw him slide out of India, and from 2019 to 2021 he played just two IPL games. In 2022, he even travelled as a net bowler for Gujarat Titans.
“I believe in destiny. If something good happens, I move forward. If something bad happens, I go back to the nets,” he said in a calm manner of veterans.
The key, Mohit believes, is how you bounce back. And not everyone knows how to do it right. That is where experience matters.
“Experience matters a lot in T20s, not just in terms of performance but in learning. Having someone like Mitchell Starc in the mix brings great value to the team. We have all taken hits in this format, we’ve all had bad days but it’s about bouncing back. And that is something that I or Starc can talk to youngsters about. It’s about sharing and it is also about executing.”
He added: “In T20s, you will get hit. If you are afraid of getting hit for sixes, you won’t take wickets. But it all boils down to execution. A perfect yorker is still hard to hit 99% of the time but if you get it wrong, you will get hit. A wide yorker can still work. Even a length ball. But you have to get it right, you have to time it right and you need courage to do that.”
Delhi Capitals will hope this mix of understanding and calm works for them this season. For now, Mohit doesn’t quite know how he will be used, but he is leaving nothing to chance.
“I am preparing myself overall. I am taking care of my body, bowling with both the new ball and the old ball, and making sure I am ready for any situation that I am called upon for by Hemang bhai or Venu bhai,” he said. Hemang Badani is chief coach and Venugopal Rao director of cricket.
IPL 2024 was a tough season for bowlers with the Impact Player rule giving batting line-ups an extra cushion. The freedom afforded meant bigger totals and bowlers being put under constant pressure. Will that mean a change in approach for the bowlers this season?
“No need to do anything different,” said Mohit. “I always believe that in trying to do something different, you might lose what you already have. Last year, the impact player changed things and one wasn’t quite sure how the rule change will be used. It was only in the latter half of the season that the impact player truly came into its own. So, the focus should still be on executing plans. If you do that you may get the odd hammering, but mostly you’ll be fine.”
Delhi have an interesting squad — some of their older stars have flown the coop but their places have been taken by players who will be hungry to prove a point.
“We have a good squad but the first 7-10 days are important,” said Mohit. “Starting the season is important, it fills the squad with confidence. But for that to happen, the plans will need to be executed well. Execution is what it all comes down to.”
