Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar engaged in an intense debate with the former Australian opener Matthew Hayden after Indian skipper Rohit Sharma extended his mediocre run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday. Regarded as a modern-day great across all formats of the game, Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit has struggled for form in the 15th edition of the cash-rich league.
The veteran opener has failed to breach the 50-run mark in the league phase of the world’s richest T20 league. Leading the batting charge of the five-time champions in match No. 65 of the IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit gave MI an impressive start during their stiff run chase of the massive target set by Kane Williamson’s Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Though Rohit was on course to register his first half-century, the MI skipper once again failed to bank on his start. Rohit was dismissed for 48 off 36 balls by Washington Sundar in the 11th over. Talking about Rohit’s batting form after the match between the former IPL champions, batting legend Gavaskar explained why Rohit has struggled to convert his starts in the 15th season.
“Shot selection. That’s one of the reasons why he’s getting off to these terrific starts, looks in no trouble whatsoever, gets to 30-40 and then the shot selection lets him down. I know it’s an instinctive thing. You see the ball being released and then you play the shot. But sometimes when you predetermine that this is the shot that I’m going to play and the ball is not where you’re expecting it, then you get into trouble. The ball is hitting the middle of the bat, it’s just shot selection that has let him down,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
Gavaskar’s colleague at the IPL 2022, legendary Australian opener Hayden said that mental fatigue is the reason behind Rohit’s below-par show in the 15th season of the cash-rich league. “I think it’s mental fatigue. When you are in that mentally fatigued space, it comes to Sunny’s point. Where you start to go, ‘ Right, what’s my shot selection?’. I think when you are little bit of mentally fatigued, you try to shake the system a little bit. You want to get it easier and that leads to the dismissals. And then it’s a compounding effects, because then poor results lead to extra poor results,” Hayden said.
Taking cognisance of Hayden’s remark, Gavaskar counter-questioned the former Australian cricketer. “What fatigue are we talking about here?,”Gavaskar asked Hayden after SRH’s win over MI at the Wankhede Stadium. “When you got constant play, and these guys are always playing. The reality is it is a very unique set of circumstances. We played our game and then we could go to a friend’s place, we could get out, we could enjoy each other’s company. What happens when you are in an environment of bubbles, and you are playing in such conditions for two years, it closes in on you. The expectations are there, because there is such excellence that gets demanded. I do feel for them,” Hayden explained.
Opener Rohit has scored 266 runs from 13 matches in the IPL 2022. Under Rohit’s leadership, five-time champions Mumbai have suffered 10 defeats in the league phase of the elite T20 tournament. Mumbai are rock-bottom with 6 points from 13 games in the IPL 2022. Rohit-led Mumbai Indians will meet Rishabh Pant’s Delhi Capitals (DC) in their final fixture of the 15th season.
If it’s like a family, the environment, which is what they have, big suits, their family is with them, it’s not like they are enclosed in a room. If they were enclosed in a room, then that’s terrible. But when you play cricket for your franchise or your country, some sacrifices have to be made. Sacrifices like you may not go out to see a cinema, go out shopping. Because this is a sport which you love. But shot selection, it can’t be because of fatigue. I think fatigue should not be given as a reason. That’s my view. I am totally happy to be proven wrong,” Gavaskar added.
