Mumbai, April 20 Having repeatedly failed to hit a big one in the first seven matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, India captain Rohit Sharma was facing tremendous scrutiny. In such a scenario, self-doubts are sure to creep into the mindset and further add to the mounting pressure, forcing a player to do things differently in a bid to succeed.
Former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma went through the entire gamut of emotions as runs failed to flow from his bat. However, he kept at it, absorbing pressure and ignoring the various opinions expressed so freely.
On Sunday, the 37-year-old two-time T20 World Cup-winner silenced his critics with a brilliant unbeaten 76 that guided Mumbai Indians to a nine-wicket triumph against archrivals Chennai Super Kings in Match 38 of IPL 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium. Rohit scored his first half-century in eight innings and shared a 114-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav (68 not out) for the second wicket as Mumbai romped to a comprehensive victory.
"After being here for a long time, it's easy to start doubting yourself and start doing different things. It was important for me to practice well, hit the ball well. When you are clear in your mind, things like this can happen. It has been a while, but if you doubt yourself, you put pressure on yourself. It is important to balance how you want to play," said Rohit Sharma in the post-match presentation on Sunday.
Rohit, nicknamed Hitman, gave an insight into how he planned his innings on Sunday and overcame the shortcomings that have stopped him from succeeding in scoring a big one so far this season.
"Today I wanted to hit the ball, but it was also important to hold the shape and extend the arms. And then, if the ball is in the arc, I wanted to try what I always do. It has not been happening consistently, but I am not going to doubt myself," said Rohit.
He said the most satisfying aspect of the match for him was to stay put and finish it. He also said the Mumbai Indians are peaking at the right time with three wins on a trot.
"The satisfying part was to finish the game. We are peaking at the right time, winning three on the trot. Winning back-to-back is important; we stand in a good position," he added.
Rohit, who has captained Mumbai Indians to five titles in IPL, said him coming in as Impact Substitute is part of the plan and it does not matter whether he comes in with two or three overs to go in the opponent's innings.
"Something we spoke about. Two or three overs don't make a huge difference. I came in earlier in a few games, and it doesn't help if you are not switched on. Don't mind going for 4-5 overs as well, or if the team wants me to stay in the dugout and just bat," said the 37-year-old considered one of the best in white-ball cricket.
The former Mumbai Indians captain said it was an honour to have a stand named after him in the Wankhede Stadium. The right-hander even struck a six into the Devicha Pavilion, where the board announcing 'Rohit Sharma Stand' will be coming up soon.
"Looks pretty far! Huge honour. I used to come here as a kid and watch the game. We were not allowed to come here at some stage. Have grown up playing at this ground, now to have that stand, huge honour. Don't know how I will react when it actually comes up," he concluded.
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