Sharma’s been there, done that
Rohit Sharma took a stroll down memory lane moments after he shocked Mumbai Indians with a match-winning hattrick. Reason: The Deccan Chargers all-rounder had, years ago, achieved a similar feat during an inter-school tournament, reports G Krishnan.
Rohit Sharma took a stroll down memory lane moments after he shocked Mumbai Indians with a match-winning hattrick. Reason: The Deccan Chargers all-rounder had, years ago, achieved a similar feat during an inter-school tournament.
“I took a hattrick for my school, Swami Vivekananda, in the Harris Shield as a 14-year-old. I remember that match very well as I had also scored 123 and taken six wickets, the hattrick included,” Sharma said.
“There were articles about me in the next day’s papers,” Sharma added, after helping his team to a morale-boosting victory.
Sharma’s hattrick not only surprised his Ranji Trophy teammates – he represents Mumbai in the premier domestic tournament — but surprised him too. So engrossed was the 22-year-old in the game that he did not realise what he had achieved after dismissing JP Duminy.
“It was only after Ryan Harris told me that I started celebrating,” Sharma said.
The effort was something special as it came against his domestic teammates. “Mumbai is not his home for these six weeks,” said Adam Gilchrist, on a lighter note.
Sharma, who does not like being called a part-timer, said: “I have been bowling for long now. I have the confidence. I have bowled quite a bit for Mumbai and India.”
Asked about part-time bowlers getting hattricks — Yuvraj Singh had achieved the feat a few days back — Gilchrist said: “I don’t think there are part-time bowlers in T20. Rohit bowled in just about every game. You have got to be versatile in T20. His bowling late in pressure situations helped.”
Sharma, who threw away his wicket after a handy 38, felt scores in the region of 140-150 are defendable in IPL.
“I have been following this tournament very closely and it is not easy to chase under lights. You have to first settle down and then go after the attack in the last five overs. Anything between 140 and 150 is a good total,” Sharma said.