JOIN USHaving helmed Mumbai Indian’s third IPL title triumph in five seasons, Rohit Sharma was on cloud nine on Sunday night.
He was particularly delighted with the way his team had fought back to snatch a one-run win over Rising Pune Supergiant after posting a modest 128 for eight. The right-hander spoke in length about the importance of team performances, death bowling and India captaincy (in T20s) aspirations. Excerpts from his post IPL-10 final press conference.
On the third title and the emotions: All three titles are special. I personally feel it is how you prepare at the start of the tournament, getting your combinations right and going on to the field. That’s the most critical part of winning the tournament. Individual brilliance can win you a few games, but what is required to win this championship is team unity, team work and intelligence. Personally, I believe they are all critical. We spoke about it at the start of the tournament. If you look at the first two titles we won, we probably had one batsman in the top five. We didn’t have one batsman in the top five this time. That’s a little bit sad, but that shows different individuals have stepped up at different times and taken up responsibility.
On the target in mind after choosing to bat: In a big game, it’s good to put runs on the board. Both our finals have seen us do that. The history at this place is such that there have been 200 runs scored in an innings and also just 140. So if you don’t bat well, you won’t make a big target. According to me, I don’t think we applied ourselves too well. Our target was between 140 and 160. If we had tried to reach 180, then you could’ve been bowled out for 120. So our talk was that we try and make 140 so we may even get to 160. 160 on this wicket would’ve been a match-winning score, as you saw.
On experience in bowling unit: I think cricket is all about experience and inexperience. You will always have some inexperienced players in your squad and you'll have some proven match winners. I personally felt at the start of the tournament that it was always good to have a five-bowler theory whenever you are playing a T20 game. And (Pandya brothers) Hardik and Krunal give us that balance to play with five bowlers because of the way they bat and bowl.
On if he's seen better death bowling than in the final: Not really. I won't be too overconfident about it but I guess (Lasith) Malinga and (Jasprit) Bumrah are probably the two best death bowlers we have seen in this tournament. They've done it consistently. This year Malinga has probably not found his way so much, but again when we needed him today, he came and delivered. That’s what experience does. We always need our big players for big games. We wanted Malinga to be in the fray and we knew somewhere down the line, the experience will count.
The last three overs (today)… Of course they've been put in that situation many a time and they have done it for the team. Not just for IPL teams but also for the country. For me as a captain, to see these guys delivering it's pretty pleasing. Whatever we have been discussing, they came and executed it. It’s all about execution. We can talk as much as we want. At the end of the day it's about going and implementing it on the field. That’s what these three fast bowlers (Malinga, Bumrah and Mitchell Johnson) did, particularly at the death overs.
On if he aspires to be Indian T20 captain: (Laughs) that’s thinking too far ahead. I don’t think too far ahead. When the opportunity comes, it comes. I will grab it with both hands.