Mumbai Indians, Director of Cricket, Zaheer Khan, has come in full support of out-of-form captain Rohit Sharma and cancelled out any indications of removing the skipper from the franchise's leadership role ahead of the clash against Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday.
The five-time champions Mumbai Indians are going through a torrid run losing all their seven matches in the ongoing IPL 2022 season. With seven games left, Mumbai Indians’ chances to qualify for the knockouts look bleak.
“When you are captaining a side, and you have close moments that the team has not been able to close, that definitely adds pressure on any captain,” Zaheer, a former Mumbai Indians bowler, told media during a virtual press conference on Saturday.
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Rohit Sharma, who succeeded Virat Kohli as India’s full-time captain last year, has so far not lost a single match, winning nine T20 internationals, three ODIs and two Tests. He was also the Mumbai Indians captain when the franchise won the IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
However, nothing is going right for the right-hander in IPL 2022 and Zaheer admitted the pressure is highest on Rohit. “When as a team you are not able to win games of cricket, then obviously the pressure is highest on the captain I would say, so that does burden you,” added Zaheer.
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“It’s a responsibility of every individual in the team to go out there and give their best and it’s a responsibility of the support staff to make sure they are in the right space,” he said. Not just the captaincy, Rohit Sharma is going through a lean patch with the bat too.
In the seven innings so far, Rohit Sharma has scored just 114 runs at an average of 16.29. But Zaheer believes Rohit Sharma is just a game away from returning back to form. “That concern is definitely not there. I wouldn’t look too much into it and with the quality of a cricketer that he is, he (Rohit) is just a game away from that big innings,” said Zaheer.
Zaheer pointed out that having the kind of season Mumbai Indians have had so far was unusual, but being put in a tough spot also brought learnings for the team that remains the most successful one in IPL history.
“Not every day is going to be your day, but you go out there and give your best. The same individuals have been going for runs, and the same individuals will come out there and give the best performance for you,” Zaheer explained.
“That is something the game of cricket teaches you. The team sport dynamic is like that. Mumbai Indians have done well in patches but never looked as a unit. Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav have produced some good knocks, while young Dewald Brevis too shone in a few matches.
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With just 96 runs, all-rounder Kieron Pollard has failed to live up to the expectations of the franchise, which decided to retain him. In bowling, Mumbai Indians have mostly relied on Jasprit Bumrah even as the rest cut a sorry figure.
While Daniel Sams came good against CSK with four wickets, the rest of the bowlers, including Tymal Mills, Basil Thampi or lead spinner Murugan Ashwin too have gone for runs aplenty.
