As captain, I try and stay ahead of the game: Rohit Sharma
When Mumbai Indians beat Gujarat Lions on Sunday, they became the first team in VIVO IPL 2017 to register four wins a row. Often slow to get off the blocks, MI are enjoying a fine run and have claimed the top spot. A lot of credit must go to captain Rohit Sharma for the position they find themselves in; while he has marshalled his resources excellently, it has been his string of low scores, rather than his effective leadership, which has drawn more attention.
Rohit’s captaincy was spot on against RCB and GL, the two teams with most destructive batting lineups. RCB could only make 142/5 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and on a batting-friendly Wankhede Stadium track, the Lions were restricted to 176/4, which according to their Assistant Coach Mohammad Kaif was 50 runs short.
Despite making a comeback after a long injury layoff, Rohit has sacrificed his opening slot as he feels the team needs someone in the middle-order who can stay till the end.
With a top score of four in as many games, Rohit would have been tempted to return to his favourite spot at the top of the order.But he fought and guided the team to victory against GL with an unbeaten knock of 40 off 29 balls, coming in at No. 4.
In a heartfelt chat with iplt20.com, the Indian batting star gave an insight into his captaincy module and his ‘big decision to bat in the middle order’.
There has been so much focus on your batting, but the aspect that has been overshadowed is your captaincy. You were brilliant against teams with explosive batting line-ups like RCB and GL.
I have done a lot of homework about my captaincy. You don't have the same players every year, so your thinking has to change. We do a lot of work behind the scenes. We discuss a lot of match-ups and how we need to come up against a particular opposition. I am really happy that guys are putting their hand up and taking on the responsibility of finishing the game.
The captain is as good as his team and without the support and the performance of the players, it is not possible. A lot of credit goes to my bowlers and the fielders as well. Whatever we have asked from the guys, they've gone out there and delivered. It makes it easier when things fall into place.
As captain, I try and read the game. I try and stay ahead of the game by two overs. In this format, you have to be proactive to make those decisions.
Bowlers have done a fantastic job for MI with Harbhajan Singh being extremely economical.
Harbhajan Singh has been a key performer for Mumbai Indians. Every time I've givenhim the ball, he has taken up the challenge. That is how he has played his cricket and that is what he wants to do here as well. He wants to take up the role of a bowling leader. It is always good to see a spinner flight the ball. He has not been afraid to do that while trying to get a batsman out.
I completely disagree that T20 is a batsman's game. If you're sharp enough, if you're mindful of what is happening around you as a bowler, you will be successful. That is what the bowling unit at MI are doing. We are discussing a lot of things outside the field, but it takes a lot of courage on the field. The Wankhede Stadium is a challenging place with dew coming in, so hats off to everyone.
Everyone knows how good you're when you open the innings. But you're setting an example as a leader by batting in the middle order for the team. How challenging is to bat when you have to start against spin on most occasions and just have a few overs?
It is true that I miss opening the batting. It is something I've enjoyed in the last three-four years. For me, the team comes first. Being a leader, you have to fill whatever the team's requirement is. At this point, batting at No. 3-4 is more suitable. It might change in the future. It gives us the stability. I have batted at No. 4 earlier. It was something that was missing last year. It is a big decision that I've taken and I hope it proves right at the end of the tournament. But whatever the team's requirement is, I have to do it.
Coming back after a long injury layoff, were you putting too much pressure on yourself with those string of low scores before this game?
I've been a bit let down at the start of the tournament and it is something I wasn't expecting. That is not the standard I set for myself. I want to go out there, perform and make sure the team wins. It didn't happen but it was good to spend some time in the middle, score runs and get the confidence back. I've been playing after a long time but it cannot be an excuse. When you're playing, you should be ready more than 100%. Today, I tried to take time initially and then played my shots.
I was never worried about my batting. I had been getting out cheaply. If I had been getting out after playing 10 deliveries, that would have been a worry. I don't try and put too much pressure on myself. I think positively. It is a long tournament. You have 14 games plus the playoffs. I need to stay in the present and keep doing what I have been doing for the last few years. Enjoy the game, enjoy the atmosphere and enjoy captaincy. Taking the team through is my utmost goal. I will try whatever I can to ensure my team goes through.