Even during a protracted slump, which included the time when India were thoroughly crushed at home by New Zealand in the three-match Test series, stylish Mumbai Indians opener Rohit Sharma, who ignited the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday with an undefeated half-century in the decisive victory over Chennai Super Kings, claimed he never questioned his skills.
Rohit Sharma, named 'Player of the Match' for his unbeaten 76 off 45 balls, shared an unbroken 114-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav to steer Mumbai Indians to a dominant nine-wicket victory. Rohit smashed four boundaries and six sixes in his knock and later reflected on the importance of hard work and self-belief during tough times.
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"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," said Rohit, the former MI skipper.
"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. Today I wanted to hit the ball but 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," he added.
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Having spent a major part of his early cricketing journey at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit expressed his pride and emotions about having a stand named after him at the iconic venue.
"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. 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. Satisfying part was to finish the game."
With four wins under their belt, Mumbai Indians have climbed to sixth place on the points table, and Rohit believes the team is hitting form at the right time.
"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 said.
MI skipper Hardik Pandya also voiced his confidence in Rohit, saying he never doubted the veteran opener’s ability to deliver.
"The way Rohit and Suryakumar bat, it is a relief from outside. You don't have to worry about Rohit's form. He's gonna come good like this. We knew when he comes good, the opposition will be out. SKY (Surya) complemented him," Hardik said.
Highlighting the team's approach, Hardik emphasized playing smart, percentage cricket.
"Percentage cricket is high, we are not trying magical stuff and sticking to simple cricket. Knew they were behind the game and wanted to keep it tight. The fast bowlers went for runs and we knew 175 was below par," said Pandya.
Meanwhile, MS Dhoni, whose team continues to struggle at the bottom of the table with just two wins from eight matches, admitted they are far from their best.
"We were quite below par. Knew dew would come in the second half. We should have started our slog early. We should have capitalised and got those runs.
"We never had a par score. If you give away too many (runs to the opposition) in the first six. It wasn't like it was coming on nicely. We need to realise, we are successful because we play good cricket. But we need not get too emotional," Dhoni said.
Looking ahead, Dhoni acknowledged that if Chennai Super Kings fail to reach the playoffs, the focus would shift towards rebuilding for the next season.
"Take one game at a time. Look at the combinations for the next season, if we don't qualify."
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