‘The important thing is to use the variations at the right time’ – Mohit Sharma gives insight on plans that bamboozled SRH

Mohit Sharma. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

The experienced Mohit Sharma spilt the beans on some of his trade secrets after his excellent bowling performance helped Gujarat Titans get the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, March 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The Hyderabad batters, who were coming into the encounter after registering the highest team total (277/3) in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in their last game against Mumbai Indians, would have been confident of producing a solid performance once again. However, on a surface where the ball was gripping once it got older, Mohit stifled the famed Hyderabad batting lineup with his masterful use of slower deliveries.

The right-arm seamer was the leader of the pack for the Titans as he finished with figures of 3/25 in his four overs. The other Gujarat bowlers supported Mohit commendably as the Sunrisers were restricted to 162/8 in the first innings. Shubman Gill’s side eventually won the encounter by seven wickets with five balls to spare. After the win, Mohit, who won the Player of the Match award, explained how he plots the downfall of the opposition batters.

“Thanks for telling me I’m ageing. The important thing is to use the variations at the right time. It’s about staying one step ahead of the batters,” Mohit Sharma said at the post-match presentation.

“The field adjustments are crucial. If you and the batter know what you’ll deliver, then you need to play with one fielder’s position to deceive the batter. If he’s ready for a slower bouncer but I go slow and wide, he won’t be ready,” Mohit further added.

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Mohit also heaped praise on Afghanistan spinners Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, who bowled well and picked up the crucial wickets of Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen.

“As long as I do well, I enjoy. When I don’t, it hurts but it’s all about reflecting on the past mistakes. Our spinners performed when needed. It helped us chase a smaller target,” concluded the seamer.

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With this performance, Mohit has risen to No. 2 in the list of leading wicket-takers in IPL 2024. He has six wickets from three games at an average of 15.50. Last year, he finished as the joint second-highest wicket-taker after Mohammed Shami.