He might not have been given enough chances this season, but bowler Mohit Sharma is still an integral part of MS Dhoni’s men in yellow. He’s a favourite among CSK fans for his slower balls, which has resulted in quite a number of scalps over the last few seasons.
But at Kaveri Hall at ITC Grand Chola, Mohit is more interested in the other scalp. As brand ambassador for Advanced Hair Studio, the unassuming pacer exchanges pleasantries with former cricketer Sourav Ganguly before settling down for a chat with MetroPlus. Excerpts:
Team CSK has done well in most seasons of the IPL. What’s the secret?
That magic happens because of the environment we are in. Dhoni creates an ecosystem that contributes to our successt. As players, we have a great experience both on and off ground. Since it’s very comfortable for us outside the ground, it makes things easy for us to express ourselves in the middle.
Why do you say that?
See, CSK is like a happy family. Do you remember the times when we played matches as a child and had our parents around us to cheer us? CSK is like that. Whether we win or lose, you can always see our families hanging around. This makes all of us comfortable and that contributes to our winning ways.
What do you think is most special about the IPL?
Well, it’s a tournament where Harbhahan Singh plays for Chennai and Ravichandran Ashwin captains the Punjab team!
Though you are from Haryana, you seem comfortable here...
I’m no stranger to the city, thanks to my association with the MRF Pace Academy. It’s been a happy relationship, for more than 10 years now. I played my first big cricketing tournament here. Even this year, I’ve spent more than a couple of months here, training with the boys. Chennai has a great vibe and so I’m glad that CSK picked me.
How much impact has Dhoni’s advice had on your career?
He always tells me, ‘Stick to the basics. Do what you have always done on the field as cricketer.’ He is a believer of keeping things simple. But in a tournament like the IPL, with so much pressure on you, you have to be mentally strong as a player to do that.
You are well-known for your slower delivery...
We work on a variety of deliveries. In Chennai, it can get tough with the heat but we practise a lot, on the ground and in the nets. I particularly work on my slower ones and wide yorkers and try executing them on match days.