For me, preparation has always been key and that gives me a lot of confidence: Rohit Sharma

Match 5 of the seventeenth edition of the IPL will see Gujarat Titans playing host to the Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. This match holds a lot of significance and is sure to provide some dramatic moments, with ex-GT skipper Hardik Pandya leading MI taking over the reins of captaincy from Rohit Sharma, who has led MI to five IPL triumphs in his 11 years of captaincy.

Rohit took charge midway through IPL 2013 after Ricky Ponting stepped down. Since then, he has captained the team to five IPL championship victories until 2023, when in December, the management took an audacious decision to pass on the baton of captaincy to Hardik Pandya, whom they had roped in from GT after he guided the team to an IPL triumph and a runners-up finish in the two seasons he had spent captaining them.

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MI's management cited Rohit's batting numbers as the prime reason for the change in captaincy, adding that they believed taking the burden off Rohit would in turn lead to to play more freely while with the bat in hand.

Unsurprisingly, the decision by MI triggered considerable controversy, facing backlash from both veterans and experts, with the fans joining the fray as well. 

Ahead of MI's opening fixture against hosts GT, Rohit discussed his preparation. He said that for him, he has always emphasised preparation before any sort of game, and the fact that it has always been a significant source of confidence. He also spoke on the multiple routines he does going into a game and stated that he had done almost everything according to him ahead of the night game versus GT.

“For me, preparation has always been key and that gives me a lot of confidence going into any game. There are a lot of things i do before a game. I've almost done everything now...just few things here and there," said the incumbent Indian skipper, in a video released on X by MI's account.

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He also alluded to the fresh members that his franchise bought in ahead of IPL 2024 in the mini-auction in December and that all of them had made a name for themselves in domestic and international cricket. He also stated that he was looking forward to them stamping their authority and coming good for the team.

“Lot of players that went got from the auction, new faces, young players, who have done well in domestic cricket and international cricket. So, yes, looking forward to that, and hopefully, they can make a mark right from the beginning,” Rohit added.