A day after the big clash for the IPL title, Mohit opened up on those six deliveries and Jadeja’s moment of brilliance.
The end to the IPL 2023 final was another story of ecstasy on one side and agony on the other. It was jubiliant celebration of epic proportion on one side after Ravindra Jadeja smashed the winning runs in top-class fashion at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, and sheer heartbreak on the other end as Mohit Sharma was left in tears after failing to defend 13 runs. A day after the big clash for the IPL title, Mohit opened up on those six deliveries and Jadeja’s moment of brilliance.
Speaking to Indian Express, Mohit admitted that his plan was clear having been in such situations umpteen times. And on Monday, he was the pick of the bowlers for Gujarat Titans having just picked two back-to-back wickets in his previous over.
“My mind was very clear in what I wanted to do. In the nets, I had practiced such situations and I have been in such scenarios before too. So I said let me bowl all balls yorkers and was backing my instinct,” he said. And did he. In his first four deliveries in that over, he bowled all yorkers, which included a dot ball and conceded three runs.
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Despite Mohit being confident in his approach, captain Hardik Pandya had walked up to him for a small chat. He later revealed that saying: “They wanted to know what will be his plan of action. I said I will again try to bowl yorker. People are now saying this and that but frankly it has no meaning. I knew what I wanted to do.”
The discussion did not serve well for Mohit as he erred in his length in the penultimate ball, delivering an undercooked yorker which was smashed over long-on for a six.
Mohit later revealed that despite that being hit by Jadeja in that ball, he backed himself to emulate what he had done in the first four balls. He said that he wanted to bowl at Jadeja’s toes with that perfect yorker.
“I ran and tried to bowl (yorker) again. I just wanted to be focussed and back myself. Whole IPL I have done that. The ball landed where it shouldn’t have and Jadeja got his bat. I tried, I tried my best,” he said.
Unfotunately, it did not go as per the plans. The final delivery turned out to a low full toss and Jadeja just drifted it down fine leg for the winning boundary.
Sharma said: “I couldn’t sleep. Sochta raha kya alag karta joh match jeet jaate. What if I could have bowled this ball or that ball? It’s not a nice feeling now. Somewhere something is missing but I’m trying to move on.”