It could have been a perfect end to what was a dream season for Mohit Sharma who made a terrific comeback with a 27-wicket haul in IPL 2023 for Gujarat Titans. Having gone unsold in the previous two IPL auctions, Mohit was bought by the franchise at the mini auction after spending a season with them as a net bowler.
He produced an excellent show with the ball, playing a key role in GT entering a second straight final and nearly helped them defend their title but for the final two deliveries that were smacked for 10 runs by Chennai Super Kings allrounder Ravindra Jadeja in the IPL final earlier this week.
Defending 13 runs in the final over of the summit clash in Ahmedabad, Mohit stuck to yorkers and conceded just three runs off his first four deliveries.
With CSK now needing 10 to win off two, GT were the favourites considering how well Mohit had been bowling.
However, before he could bowl the penultimate delivery, Mohit was spoken to by his captain Hardik Pandya which batting legend Sunil Gavaskar says impacted the fast bowler’s rhythm.
“He (Mohit) bowled that first 3-4 deliveries absolutely brilliantly,” Gavaskar told India Today. “Then for some strange reason some water was sent to him, in the middle of an over. Then Hardik came and spoke to him. When the bowler is in that rhythm and he is mentally also there, nobody should have said anything to him. Nothing at all. From a distance just say well bowled. Going to him, talking to him, that wasn’t the right thing to do. Suddenly Mohit was looking here and there.”
On Cricbuzz, Virender Sehwag said had he been the captain in place of Hardik, he wouldn’t have disturbed Mohit and let him finish the over quickly.
“When a bowler delivering yorkers, bowling well, why go and have a word with him? He is aware that 10 runs are needed from two and needs to stick with yorkers. Why waste his time then? If Mohit had conceded runs, then it’s fine, go have a word. But if he’s doing well, let him get through the over quickly. It’s possible the captain might have asked if the bowler wants changes in the field for the last two balls. But still, if it was me, I wouldn’t have disturbed him,” Sehwag said.
Another former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was of a similar opinion.
“Mohit Sharma is not somebody that we know is a yorker-bowler. His main strength is taking the pace off, and here, he was nailing the perfect yorkers. He was in the zone, three brilliant yorkers to dangerous batters. He has a drink!” Manjrekar told ESPNCricinfo.
“There are a couple of people who come around. When he was walking back to his bowling mark, he was looking calm and confident. Why would you spoil that rhythm?” he added.
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