Mumbai Indians captaincy has helped me become a better batsman: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has now become the batting mainstay in the top order and has been churning out runs effortlessly. He began 2016 with a bang with a successful tour Down Under. In an exclusive interview with TOI, Rohit talked about learning from past mistakes, the attitude of the batting unit, and the role people who work have been constantly working hard behind the scenes.

Rohit Sharma was seen a player with potential who would be an asset in the team, then he had rough phase and faced the criticism. Later there was resurrection and runs began to flood from his bat. Rohit now is known for the penchant for scoring big hundreds. There is no one better than him at the moment who can pace his according to the situation and need of the team. So, how does Rohit manage to access things on the field so successfully?

According to him, it has been a natural progression after having played international cricket for such a long time. He feels that not every batsman can be at his best every time he comes out to bat.

“Experience at the international level has probably taught me what it takes to probably go out there and get a 100 or to build an innings or to win a game. I keep thinking about strategies, analysing situations, and working it out inside my mind, see what is best for the team at that point. There have been times when I’ve played shots without thinking about the repercussions or situations,” Rohit explains.

“Not all batsmen in a team can do well at all times. In our case, someone did well in Australia, someone did well in England but everyone had something to take home, even if we were bruised by defeats. In hindsight, we all see it as a great learning curve.”

Given the amount of cricket which is played these days, the support staff plays a huge role in keeping the players focused and match ready. Rohit acknowledges their importance and spoke about the men who work relentlessly behind the scenes for the boys.

“The support staff and individuals like Ravi Shastri have made a lot of difference to this side. They’ve given us the space to go out there and express ourselves. A lot of credit goes to Sanjay Bangar as well. He’s been doing a lot of work behind the scenes, spending lot of time with batsmen, creating a positive environment.”

The Indian batting now plays with a whole new approach towards the opposition. They go for the kill right away and play aggressive cricket.  But sometimes, the aggression looks like arrogance. However, Rohit makes it clear that the express their confidence and all they want is to achieve better results. According to him the trait is essential at the international level.

“This batting unit, especially, is fearless. We want to go out there and achieve the best possible result. Sometimes, things work and sometimes they don’t. Maybe to an outsider, it comes across as a sign of arrogance. But that’s not the case. People need to understand that it’s not over-confidence. It’s just confidence in each other that we’re taking into every game. “

“When you’re out there on the field, you’re in the middle of a competition. The guy who is not even willing to show out that emotion or expression will still show it. That’s because it will naturally come out. From the outside, an individual might be calm and not show it but from the inside, there’s always a competitive streak that’s alive.”

“On tough tours, you have to let that streak of aggression show. Otherwise, you will not be able to survive onslaughts. The going can get very tough when you’re playing a Test match in England or Australia. Whatever works for you, or whatever brings the best out of you, why not give it a shot.”

Rohit is now an established opener also described the feeling of facing the first balls.

“I really love to face that first ball of an innings. Ask the opposition questions. ‘What do you have for me’. It pumps me up – the whole idea of the bowler marking his run-up, popping at the crease, the crowd chanting, nerves building up. It’s a very good feeling. Right from the first ball, I know I have to be at the top of my game.”

“In any sport, nothing comes easy. No matter how talented you are or naturally gifted you are, there’s no substitute to hard work if you got to maintain standards.”