The ruckus in his hamstring was confusing and fun for Rohit Sharma, who says she always knew the injury wasn’t that bad and that he would be battle ready for the Australia tour. India’s vice captain of white ball, in a detailed conversation with PTI, spoke about the left hamstring injury during the IPL, which became a subject of intense speculation after he returned to action a few days left out of the Australian tour earlier this month. . He was later added to the test team.
“To be honest, I don’t know what was going on, and what people were talking about. But let me put this in evidence, I was constantly communicating with BCCI and the Indians of Mumbai,” Rohit said.
He hit a 68-on-50-ball winning shot in the 2020 IPL final against Delhi Capitals, playing through pain. Rohit is currently doing strength and conditioning work at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru before heading to Australia.
“I told them (the Mumbai Indians) that I can go out on the field as it is the shorter format and that I will be able to handle the situation quite well. Once I cleared my mind, it was all about focusing on what I had to do, ” he said.
“The hamstring feels absolutely good. I just started the process to make it nice and strong. Before playing in the longer format, I needed to be clear that there is no stone left unturned, that’s probably why, I “I’m in the NCA,” Rohit added.
For Rohit, the talk abroad about his injury and his subsequent appearance in the IPL play-offs did not matter much.
“So for me, it wasn’t a concern what they were talking about x, yoz, as if it would come to Australia,” he said.
“Once the injury happened, the next two days all I did was find out what I could do in the next 10 days and if I could play or not.”
Unless you go to the ground, you will not know how the body is being formed, the five-time IPL champion feels.
“But every day the hamstring (degree of injury) was changing. The way I was responding was changing, so I felt pretty confident that I could play and that’s the communication I had with IM at the time.
“I told them that I think I will be fine to play just before the play-offs. If there is any discomfort, I will not play the play-offs.”
All it took Rohit three and a half weeks to prepare for testing and he doesn’t understand what all the fuss was about given that the series begins on December 17.
“Of course, there is still some work to do on my hamstring. That’s why I didn’t go to Australia for the cue ball leg as there are back-to-back games. About 6 games in 11 days,” he said of the Limited overs stage from November 27.
“So I thought if I put myself to work on my body for 25 days, I could probably go play the test matches. So it was an easy decision for me and I don’t know why it became so complicated for others,” he said. . said.
Rohit also spoke about his long-standing relationship with his IPL Mumbai Indians franchise. The five-time champions, he said, weren’t created overnight.
“Yes, we have a (Kieron) Pollard, a Hardik (Pandya), (Jasprit) Bumrah, but has anyone thought about why this team is successful?” I ask.
“I’ve heard a lot of people say that can he (Rohit) do it with other teams? In the first place, why will I have to do it with other teams? There is a certain way this franchise wants to go and the same direction as me. I wanna go”. also, both as a player and as a leader ”, he explained.
“Did this team get good overnight? No. It’s just that this franchise doesn’t believe in cutting and switching. And all of the players, including Rohit Sharma, were available (2011) at auctions. Only MI chose and believed in building a team. “
He was extremely proud that MI got New Zealand pacemaker Trent Boult to join in, which did them wonders. Boult was released by Delhi Capitals ahead of the player auction, a decision they would likely regret given how effective it was this year.
“Trent Boult was with Delhi last year and before that with Sunrisers. We needed someone who would provide ground up front and who could swing the ball,” Rohit said.
“We strongly pursued it and got it from Capitals, which I am proud of.”
It was a difficult year in all respects, but Rohit said that the franchise provided an environment that created memories for a lifetime while locked in a bio-bubble due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“MI in a year where everything was uncertain, created a happy space for us. 80 days in a bio-bubble I never felt claustrophobic. Every little aspect was taken care of and the preparation began in June in a biosecure environment with the entire network of bowlers and players Indians, “he said.
Rohit also touched on his leadership at IPL and spoke about the freedom he gives his players by allowing them to evolve as individuals. He cited Suryakumar Yadav’s composure in dealing with India’s rejection as an example.
“We were sitting in our team room and I could feel he was down. But I didn’t go to talk to him. He was the one who came up and said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll get over it and win the match for ME.’
“And when he said that, I also realized that he is going in the right direction not only in terms of IPL but in his career in general. There are a lot of games from India and his time will come.”
Promoted
“If you ask me, my philosophy is mind over matter and that’s what works for me.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
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