'Longest gap in my career without holding a bat' - Rohit Sharma gears up for 'challenging' IPL 2020

2019 was an illustrious year for India stalwart Rohit Sharma. The right-hander delivered an exemplary performance in the World Cup and followed it up by performing in the Test series against South Africa. Rohit was the highest run-scorer in the 2019 World Cup, boasting an average of 81.00 from just nine matches. He even became the first batsman to score five tons in single World Cup edition.

Rohit was anticipated to carry on his previous year’s form in 2020 but a calf injury served as his roadblock. The injury which happened during the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand forced Rohit to withdraw from the subsequent ODI and Test series. He also was not a part of the Indian squad when they were scheduled to lock horns with South Africa in March.

Rohit, who hasn’t braced the field for six months now, admitted that it would be his primary concern when he returns back to the sport in IPL 2020. The cash-rich league tournament is set to start on September 19th and although its schedule is yet to unfold, Mumbai Indians will play Chennai Super Kings in the first match as per the norm. Ahead of the much-anticipated tournament, Rohit said that it’s been the longest gap that he ever had in his career.

We have a lot of time in our hands: Rohit Sharma

“It’s the longest gap that I have ever had in my career without holding a bat. It will be a bit challenging. Unless I play, I will not know where I am and how I feel but the body is completely fine. I feel physically more strong than ever because of the last four months,” said Rohit as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

“We have a lot of time in our hands… I will be taking it slow. Luckily, I don’t think there is any rush that I need to show. We have enough time. I will work on getting back to the ground slowly because the temperature in Dubai is 40 degrees. It’s not easy,” he added.

Rohit is the most successful captain in IPL history with 4 titles under his belt while leading Mumbai Indians. His stellar success in the league led to Suresh Raina comparing him with MS Dhoni. Following Rohit, Dhoni is second on the list with 3 IPL trophies while leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK). About leading his franchise in a high-profile tournament like the IPL, Rohit said that his main job is to communicate and give confidence to the youngsters.

“You need to give confidence to the younger players, some of them haven’t played the IPL before, don’t have international exposure. I need to make sure they are in the best zone, not pressurised by the moment and get those little performances from everyone,” said the MI skipper.