Rohit Sharma had clear plan about his fitness, form: Mahela Jayawardene
Rohit Sharma is diligently practicing with Mumbai Indians, focusing on defensive techniques and shedding 15 kgs to look younger. He's aiming to prove his international class, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene highlighted Sharma's clear fitness plan and extensive skill work during the off-season, noting his positive presence and excellent hand speed.
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.