Mohit Sharma is back where he belongs

The pacer turned in a superb show for GT in their match against PBKS on Thursday

There was a feeling of déjà vu for Mohit Sharma when he turned up at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium on Thursday evening. He knew a thing or two about the Mohali stadium wicket as he came into the game having the experience of playing for the Punjab franchise for three seasons in the past. It all felt familiar, yet, at the same time, it felt very different too.

Mohit Sharma bowls during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans. (PTI)

Sharma wasn't the bowler he once was; he wasn't the bowler who won the Purple Cap (it indicates that he topped the wickets tally for the season) for CSK in 2014; his variations had run dry and so had the wickets. But the medium-pacer didn't lose hope and found a way to keep running in.

So when he got the opportunity to become a net bowler for the Gujarat Titans last season, he grabbed it with both hands. Sharma had been out of the IPL mix for a while -- his last spell was for Delhi Capitals in 2020 wherein he gave away 45 runs in 4 overs. A year in the wilderness can take a toll on any player. Make it a couple and it can make you lazy or even frustrated. That is the easy thing to do.

But GT head coach Ashish Nehra knows a thing or two about injuries and comebacks given the path his own career took. He asked Sharma to continue playing for Haryana in domestic cricket and later, when he felt the bowler was back up to pace, he was asked to become GT’s net bowler last season.

“Last year, I played domestic cricket returning from back surgery. Not many people knew I played domestic. I got a call from Ashu paaji to stay with the team. I thought it would be better than staying at home (about being a net bowler for GT last year). Being a net bowler is not a bad thing. It gives you a lot of exposure. The environment at GT is brilliant,” said Sharma after his brilliant spell, 4-0-18-2, against the hosts on Thursday night.

Sharma added: “I have played at Mohali for three years. I thought that it could play on the slower side. I thought I could use some variations. I was fortunate that Hardik was there so I could discuss with him whenever I wanted to try something. You just have to go back and do the same thing. You go to train and keep giving your best.”

The purple cap in 2014 is a memory and so is his stint with the national side. In a way, he is the same but different. The hardships have tempered his mind and when he was bought by GT in the mini-auction for the 2023 IPL for his base price ₹50 lakh (in 2016, he had fetched ₹6.5 crore), he knew he was one step closer to making a proper comeback.

“I was prepared before about my role. I knew that I would most probably have to bowl after the tenth over. Credit goes to the coach and the environment created here that everyone's role is very clear,” added 34-year-old Sharma, who had back surgery last year.

Praising Sharma’s bowling, GT captain Hardik said, “I was not surprised when Mohit and Alzarri came. They were terrific. And credit to Mohit. To come to join us as a net bowler and then wait for his chance, knowing his time will come and today it came.”

Adding to this, player of the match Shubman Gill said, “It's amazing. He (Sharma) was looking good in the nets, especially with the old ball. He has got a good yorker and he is very accurate. I think it was a great Gujarat Titans debut for him.”

Another cricketer who was very happy to see Sharma make a successful comeback was Rahul Tewatia. They used to once train together in Faridabad under former India wicketkeeper Vijay Yadav and this took him back to the good old days.

He said, “We trained at the same academy and he is like my big brother. When I made my debut with PBKS in 2017, he really helped me out with things. In the last two years, he has done a lot of hard work. In the powerplay, they were going well and I think Mohit paaji’s introduction changed the game’s pace and it worked for us.”

Well begun is half the job done but Sharma will know that the true challenge for him will be to keep his form going and make sure that this wasn't a one-off.