Batting legends Sunil Gavaskar and Matthew Hayden were heard debating about the form or the lack thereof for Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma in the ongoing IPL 2022. Thanks to their recent loss in the tournament to Sunrisers Hyderabad, MI is almost certain to finish at the 10th spot in points table.
Rohit Sharma made 48 in 36 balls against SRH but has managed a total of 266 runs in 13 matches with no half-centuries to his name at an average of 20.46 and strike rate of 126.66.
Ahead of the game, batting greats Sunil Gavaskar and Matthew Hayden spoke in detail about Rohit's form and debated the potential reasons behind the lack of big scores for the MI captain.
“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 said on Star Sports.
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However, one of the best Australian opening batters of his time, Matthew Hayden suggested mental fatigue as a reason for his failure with the bat.
"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.
However, Sunil Gavaskar was quick to respond to Hayden asking him what fatigue.
"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 further explained his point.
Gavaskar, then, said that even as the players are in bio-bubble, they are with their family and that ‘sacrifices’ need to be made.
“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,” said the former India batter.
(Star Sports inputs)
