NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma isn’t missing any practice sessions with the Mumbai Indians team. In the nets on Friday afternoon at the Arun Jaitley stadium, he put his head down and mostly worked on perfecting his defensive technique. He refrained from playing the booming hits down the ground.Rohit is 26 days short of turning 39 but the 15 kgs shed by him make him look younger, almost unrecognisable. He is clearly on a mission to prove his worth as an international class cricketer even as he faces constant scrutiny over his place in the Indian team for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The journey started with honest conversations with the Mumbai Indians management last year.
“He had a clear plan regarding his fitness. Some members of our set-up were involved in his training and he worked towards reaching a level he was comfortable with,” Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene said on Friday.“Even though he didn’t play much competitive cricket, he did a lot of skill work in the off-season. He joined us from first day of the camp and we had discussions on how to start. We ran several simulations and practice matches. For someone with his experience, a lot comes down to muscle memory and understanding situations,” he added.One of the major concerns around him is the lack of cricket he plays around the year after retiring from Tests and T20Is. He allayed those concerns in MI’s opening game against KKR with a explosive 38-ball 78.“Rohit’s case was slightly different since he hadn’t played much cricket. He focused on his fitness for a couple of months and then resumed skill work. Since he was in Mumbai, he used our facilities whenever possible but largely he knows what works best for him. He has stayed focused and relaxed and his presence has been very positive for the group. When I watched him in the nets, he looked in very good touch — his hand speed was excellent,” Jayawardene said.The true test of Rohit’s endurance, ability and fitness will be judged by his run-scoring consistency throughout the long IPL season.