Mohit Sharma: 'I feel it is important to have pressure. It always teaches you something'
The Delhi Capitals medium-pacer talks about his most memorable final overs in T20 cricket, the guidance he has received from Ashish Nehra, and more
Interview by Nagraj Gollapudi
15-Apr-2025
Mohit Sharma corrects me and points out he is not 34 but 36 years old. "I will take it as a compliment, though," he says, chuckling, during our meeting in Chennai earlier this month. Despite his international career falling off the map due to a combination of back injuries and the emergence of younger, fitter, highly skilled fast bowlers, Mohit, who last played for India in 2015, has managed to find a second wind in his IPL career. In 2022, eight years after he topped the IPL wickets table for Chennai Super Kings, he joined Gujarat Titans as a net bowler, and the following season was the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament. He delivered the eventful last over in the 2023 IPL final, where his former CSK team-mate Ravindra Jadeja denied Mohit and Titans what would have been their second title in a row.
The backbone of Mohit's fast bowling has been his variations, delivered with a grunt. Cutters, slower balls and slow bouncers are the weapons he uses to counter the batting carnage in the second half of T20 innings, where he normally operates. In this interview, he speaks of having only gratitude and no regrets about that 20th over in the 2023 final, and opens up on a career that is now limited to just domestic T20s and the IPL.
How's life at the moment?
My life is in peace right now. It is going good. Pressure is part of the process, and personally, I feel it is important to have pressure. Even if, at times, the pressure can be too much, it always teaches you something.
My life is in peace right now. It is going good. Pressure is part of the process, and personally, I feel it is important to have pressure. Even if, at times, the pressure can be too much, it always teaches you something.
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When I say "last over", what comes to your mind?
A lot of things have been associated with the last over for me (smiles). I remember after my first season in the IPL [in 2013], Mahi bhai [MS Dhoni] told me that now when you come for the Champions League Twenty20, make sure you come as a complete bowler. The team will then decide when and how to use you. But you should be able to prepare with the new and the old ball. It was from there I started bowling at the death. At times I would get the 19th over, at times the 20th.
A lot of things have been associated with the last over for me (smiles). I remember after my first season in the IPL [in 2013], Mahi bhai [MS Dhoni] told me that now when you come for the Champions League Twenty20, make sure you come as a complete bowler. The team will then decide when and how to use you. But you should be able to prepare with the new and the old ball. It was from there I started bowling at the death. At times I would get the 19th over, at times the 20th.
Which is your favourite among the final overs you have bowled in T20s?
It was in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, when Haryana were playing Services in Mullanpur. We had to defend about five-six runs in the last over [against Services] and won it [by one run].
It was in the 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, when Haryana were playing Services in Mullanpur. We had to defend about five-six runs in the last over [against Services] and won it [by one run].
That, for me, is the best until now because I had to defend very few runs and Services had many wickets remaining. Of course, there have been times in the IPL too where I have bowled the final over. At times the team has won, at times we have lost, but the experience has always been good.
Everyone will no doubt remember the 2023 IPL final where you bowled the last over. But there was another important one you bowled that season where you defended 12 runs - against Lucknow Super Giants. KL Rahul was well set and LSG were favourites to win.
The Lucknow pitch was slow. KL would have known it, because he was batting well for long. The first ball, he might have expected a slower delivery or a slower bouncer, but I went for a yorker and it went straight for two runs. The next ball, I banged in the slower bouncer - my plan was to use the longer-side boundaries by mixing [my variations]. I actually did not execute it properly, but my kismet was such that Rahul's top edge went towards the longer part of the ground, straight to Jayant Yadav.
"You have to get wickets at intervals. If you don't get them out, you will get hit for runs, 110%. The only way to save yourself from going for runs is to get wickets"
Marcus Stoinis was next. I felt he was also waiting for the slower ball outside off stump. He even moved to make room to play the shot, but I repeated the slower bouncer. David Miller latched on to an amazing low catch [at long-on]. The ball was travelling flat and fast.
I knew I needed to execute the next ball well and the match equation would be out of their hands [LSG needed ten off three balls]. It was a good yorker. [Deepak] Hooda [dug it out and] went for the second run, but [Ayush] Badoni was run out. The next ball I went for another yorker into Hooda's legs, and though he survived, he was run-out. The last ball was a slower one, and we won comfortably.
Let's talk about the famous last over where you nearly pulled off another incredible win but for Ravindra Jadeja's heroics for Chennai Super Kings in the final the same year.
I just told myself I needed to be clear with the plan at the top of my bowling mark before every ball. At the start of the over, when 13 were needed, I thought I could mix in one wide, slower delivery. The first ball was good [an off-stump yorker to Shivam Dube] and came back to me. The second ball he attempted a six, but was again a dot [single]. When you need [to defend] 12 or 13 runs and your first two balls are good, the game can come towards you, because it is not easy to hit a six straightaway in such a situation. The third ball was a yorker - Jaddu got a single. The next ball was a single again.
I just told myself I needed to be clear with the plan at the top of my bowling mark before every ball. At the start of the over, when 13 were needed, I thought I could mix in one wide, slower delivery. The first ball was good [an off-stump yorker to Shivam Dube] and came back to me. The second ball he attempted a six, but was again a dot [single]. When you need [to defend] 12 or 13 runs and your first two balls are good, the game can come towards you, because it is not easy to hit a six straightaway in such a situation. The third ball was a yorker - Jaddu got a single. The next ball was a single again.
The fifth ball, while I executed it well, Jaddu played it really nicely. He did well to dig out the yorker and hit a straight six. Now, whenever I think about that over, I feel I should have taken a bit of time to think where I could pitch it, considering they needed ten runs off the final two deliveries, because the pressure can shift instantly in such a situation. Instead of going straight, I could have gone wide, but in such pressure moments, your subconscious mind can dominate your body at times. So while bowling wide was in my mind, in that moment I felt bowling at the heel was the best option.
Now if I get another chance to bowl that ball again, I would bowl wide on the second-last delivery because I would get hit max for four instead of six that way, even if I don't execute properly. And if six is required off the last ball, then the pressure is more on the batter than the bowler because he needs to hit in the air, so you can bowl either wider or on the heel.
When I got hit for the six [on the fifth ball], the pressure was on me. I needed to execute that last ball [with four required] very well. But the ball went a bit far away from the heel and the edge helped the ball move past fine leg for four.
I did learn quite a few things. If I bowl on the heel, I could push mid-off and fine leg back, play with the field and put thoughts in the batsman's mind. I could take more time to clear my thoughts, so I can run in with a good plan.
But I wouldn't say that that episode put me on the back foot. I had a fairy-tale season. I have nothing except gratitude. I have no regret. If this was a league game, no one would have asked me [anything]. But it was the final, a big game, and Gujarat were eyeing back-to-back [IPL titles].
This is the excitement of cricket. There's an idiom in Hindi: "Aap arsh se farsh tak, aur farsh se arsh tak pahunch sakte ho" [You can fall from the sky to the ground and rise from the ground to the sky].
Did you take a breather before the last ball of that final?
There was a quite a bit of time and I did take a breather. Hardik [Pandya, Titans' captain that season] came to me. Jayant walked towards me. Ashu bhai [Ashish Nehra, the head coach] was repeating the same things from sidelines throughout the match: "Pandit [Mohit's nickname], breathe, relax." He always says when you are at the top of your bowling mark, you need to be clear about what you are going to do. The ball is in your hand. It doesn't matter what others come and tell you. You have to execute it, so there shouldn't be two things in your mind.
There was a quite a bit of time and I did take a breather. Hardik [Pandya, Titans' captain that season] came to me. Jayant walked towards me. Ashu bhai [Ashish Nehra, the head coach] was repeating the same things from sidelines throughout the match: "Pandit [Mohit's nickname], breathe, relax." He always says when you are at the top of your bowling mark, you need to be clear about what you are going to do. The ball is in your hand. It doesn't matter what others come and tell you. You have to execute it, so there shouldn't be two things in your mind.
"I thought there is no bigger thing than education. I started reading up on biomechanics of fast bowling. Then I started dabbling in a course on sprint mechanics. If you want to pursue coaching, you need to understand what coaching is, because it is totally different to playing"
Before 2023, you had last played a full IPL season in 2018. In 2019 and 2020, you played one match each. In 2022, you went unsold in the auction, but Nehra called you to train with the Titans squad. Is it true that around this point you were thinking of ending your career but that Nehra advised you not to?
A lot happened for me between the end of the 2018 IPL and the start of the 2022 season, including having back surgery. I had a good domestic season [in 2021-22], including the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy. My body was responding well post-surgery. When I went unsold, Ashu pa told me he was not aware I had resumed playing domestic cricket. Sandeep Raju, Titans' video analyst, has worked with Haryana for a long time. He sent Ashu pa videos of my bowling. Ashu pa then told me with his usual wit: "I already have a lot of old horses, you never know when they will break, so come train with the Titans. Also, take it out of your mind that you will go out of the team - you will stay with us throughout the season regardless of what happens."
A lot happened for me between the end of the 2018 IPL and the start of the 2022 season, including having back surgery. I had a good domestic season [in 2021-22], including the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy. My body was responding well post-surgery. When I went unsold, Ashu pa told me he was not aware I had resumed playing domestic cricket. Sandeep Raju, Titans' video analyst, has worked with Haryana for a long time. He sent Ashu pa videos of my bowling. Ashu pa then told me with his usual wit: "I already have a lot of old horses, you never know when they will break, so come train with the Titans. Also, take it out of your mind that you will go out of the team - you will stay with us throughout the season regardless of what happens."
I was sitting at home, so I thought I did not have a second option. I was now getting an opportunity for competitive practice. I had not taken any long-term decision about my cricket at that point. I felt I could get to play the IPL again. Titans had Varun [Aaron], who had been injury-prone, and [Mohammed] Shami, who was coming back from injury and had pain in his knee. So I felt it was the correct decision to join Titans as a net bowler in 2022.
Before the 2023 IPL, Ashu pa asked me what my future plan was. I said I had not thought about anything, especially long-term. He then gave me his thoughts in his own fashion (chuckles). He is like an older brother in my life and has always guided me. If not for that chat, I might have taken a call on my career that year or the following season. After that I thought I will continue playing till my body supports me.
I have been lucky that in the second phase of my career, the coaches I have encountered have been like my older brothers more than coaches. They don't think it is my decision, so I should take it [alone]. They jump in to guide me to the right path. They have experienced more in life. If I have encountered such a situation once or twice in my life, some of these coaches might have been through it 20 times.
Like, the Delhi Capitals coaching staff - Hemang [Badani] bhai, Munna [Munaf Patel] bhai, Venu [Venugopal Rao] bhai - speak openly and help me make the right call. So why I say I am lucky is because what I did not get earlier in my career I am getting now.
Dot balls have always been a key strength of yours.
True. Initially when I bowled with the new ball in T20s, the one thing always on my mind was to bowl dots. Dot balls create pressure and then the batsman can commit a mistake. But now that has changed. The economy [rate] mostly doesn't matter because if you are taking wickets, the economy will get sorted automatically. And even if it doesn't get affected, if you are taking wickets, your team will chase less.
True. Initially when I bowled with the new ball in T20s, the one thing always on my mind was to bowl dots. Dot balls create pressure and then the batsman can commit a mistake. But now that has changed. The economy [rate] mostly doesn't matter because if you are taking wickets, the economy will get sorted automatically. And even if it doesn't get affected, if you are taking wickets, your team will chase less.
Now you have to get wickets in intervals. If you don't get them out then you will get hit for runs, 110%. The only way to save yourself from going for runs is to get wickets. So when I am bowling at the death now, I ensure that my options include bowling a dot ball, but I also have an option to get a wicket every second ball.
Harshal Patel, who has played with you for Haryana and against you in the IPL, has spoken about the importance of sequencing your deliveries, especially at the death, to create pressure and wicket-taking opportunities. Do you believe in the importance of sequencing?
I have played with Harshal since 2011 and I agree with him 100% on sequencing. You have to work on your sequencing to understand the plan you want to lay out for a batsman. You have to think like a batsman. Take the example of the last over I bowled to Miller against LSG in this IPL. I felt, based on the wicket, I could bowl back-of-a-length deliveries, but the last two, I banged into the wicket [slower bouncers] and they were hit for consecutive sixes. I had moved away from sequencing. If I had mixed my variations, those two sixes might not have happened and our team would have had to chase 12 runs fewer. Yes, we won the match, but after those two sixes, the momentum completely shifted towards the other team.
I have played with Harshal since 2011 and I agree with him 100% on sequencing. You have to work on your sequencing to understand the plan you want to lay out for a batsman. You have to think like a batsman. Take the example of the last over I bowled to Miller against LSG in this IPL. I felt, based on the wicket, I could bowl back-of-a-length deliveries, but the last two, I banged into the wicket [slower bouncers] and they were hit for consecutive sixes. I had moved away from sequencing. If I had mixed my variations, those two sixes might not have happened and our team would have had to chase 12 runs fewer. Yes, we won the match, but after those two sixes, the momentum completely shifted towards the other team.
"Mahi bhai nicknamed me Maria Sharapova. He used to say: 'You grunt as loud as some of the tennis players.' I'd say: 'With the grunt, batsmen will feel the ball will come at 145-150kph even though the ball comes slower, so it is a plus point for me'"
Like I said earlier, the more proactive you are, the better you can work on your sequencing. Also, trying to prepare a sequence for an individual batsman and preparing it for two batsmen is different. But while you are focusing on your strength, you also have to pay attention to what the batsman is thinking. If he knows Mohit is going to bowl, he will think Mohit will bowl the slower one. If a bowler is running in with a cross-seam, he will think it could be a bouncer. You can utilise such stuff and play with it to counter [the batter]. So if I am running in with a cross-seam grip, I should make sure I [am ready to] deliver the wide slower one to keep him guessing. Yes, I can still get hit for four or six, but it is very important that I am clear with my plan.
There is this distinct grunt that's audible at the time of your delivery. How did that come about?
(Laughs) Lawn tennis waali [Like in tennis]! I'm not sure how it came about. I try to stop it, but it is what it is. At one point Mahi bhai nicknamed me "Maria Sharapova" [the former Grand Slam champion known for her loud grunt]. I'd say: "With the grunt, batsmen will feel the ball will come at 145-150kph even though the ball comes slower, so it is a plus point for me!"
(Laughs) Lawn tennis waali [Like in tennis]! I'm not sure how it came about. I try to stop it, but it is what it is. At one point Mahi bhai nicknamed me "Maria Sharapova" [the former Grand Slam champion known for her loud grunt]. I'd say: "With the grunt, batsmen will feel the ball will come at 145-150kph even though the ball comes slower, so it is a plus point for me!"
What is the fastest you have ever bowled?
After the 2015 World Cup, in the T20 series against South Africa, I clicked 145.4kph once. At that World Cup, Umesh [Yadav], Shami and myself were consistently operating at 140kph.
After the 2015 World Cup, in the T20 series against South Africa, I clicked 145.4kph once. At that World Cup, Umesh [Yadav], Shami and myself were consistently operating at 140kph.
One has to accept things change with age, and in T20 cricket speed is not everything.
Absolutely. You have to accept that. You can't have an ego. Cricket will not stop for you. You will have to adapt yourself according to the way cricket is evolving.
Absolutely. You have to accept that. You can't have an ego. Cricket will not stop for you. You will have to adapt yourself according to the way cricket is evolving.
When we spoke back in 2014, you mentioned that you write down your positive and negative feelings on two separate sheets and bin the one with the negative thoughts. Do you still do that?
Yes, I still do that. I tear up the negative ones. Regardless of the result, I have ensured the work ethic that I have had since my Under-19 days does not change. As long as I'm playing I will continue doing things the way I did when I started.
Yes, I still do that. I tear up the negative ones. Regardless of the result, I have ensured the work ethic that I have had since my Under-19 days does not change. As long as I'm playing I will continue doing things the way I did when I started.
Does doing those things keep you sane?
Thairaav [stillness, stability] is probably the right word. I get clarity on what I should focus on and what I should not focus on. In current times, our minds get scattered even if nothing much has happened in two balls. So my work ethic has taught me that if I have only three things, then I need to stick to those three rather than thinking that if I get hit for a six off a bouncer with pace then I should beat the batsman with another bouncer, because on that day I am bowling very quick and my rhythm is good. It is important for me to stick to my strengths and mix up my variations. Having a limit, for any individual, especially a bowler, is very important.
Thairaav [stillness, stability] is probably the right word. I get clarity on what I should focus on and what I should not focus on. In current times, our minds get scattered even if nothing much has happened in two balls. So my work ethic has taught me that if I have only three things, then I need to stick to those three rather than thinking that if I get hit for a six off a bouncer with pace then I should beat the batsman with another bouncer, because on that day I am bowling very quick and my rhythm is good. It is important for me to stick to my strengths and mix up my variations. Having a limit, for any individual, especially a bowler, is very important.
You are now 36. Every athlete has that internal conversation about how long he might go on for. What do the next few years look like from where you are right now?
I am not looking at the next two years. I am not a person who thinks long-term because I have learned that when you plan things, sometimes they don't pan out the way you desired. A year or two is very long. I'm just thinking [ahead to] two days, four days, one week, next match. That's it. You can prepare in your personal life for the long term, but in your professional life, it is those two-three days. I also feel things can get complicated if you think too much. I don't like to be in such a scenario at all. What the future brings, I can wait and see.
I am not looking at the next two years. I am not a person who thinks long-term because I have learned that when you plan things, sometimes they don't pan out the way you desired. A year or two is very long. I'm just thinking [ahead to] two days, four days, one week, next match. That's it. You can prepare in your personal life for the long term, but in your professional life, it is those two-three days. I also feel things can get complicated if you think too much. I don't like to be in such a scenario at all. What the future brings, I can wait and see.
I asked because you now only play T20s, for Haryana and in the IPL, so your challenge is different to a 25-year-old's. I wanted to know how you set your goals.
With time I have learned one thing, and a lot of people disagree with this: you can't move [forward] in life with just one option. I learned that late in my life, probably when I was not playing cricket. After the 2019 season, the pandemic came. After that, in 2020 and 2021, I did not get picked [regularly], and then in 2022, I was a net bowler. In those years I realised I have played cricket and it's given me financial stability. But cricket will end today or tomorrow. What after that? I realised I had to do something.
With time I have learned one thing, and a lot of people disagree with this: you can't move [forward] in life with just one option. I learned that late in my life, probably when I was not playing cricket. After the 2019 season, the pandemic came. After that, in 2020 and 2021, I did not get picked [regularly], and then in 2022, I was a net bowler. In those years I realised I have played cricket and it's given me financial stability. But cricket will end today or tomorrow. What after that? I realised I had to do something.
I thought there is no bigger thing than education. I started reading up on the biomechanics of fast bowling. I wanted to understand why I was getting recurring back injuries. Then I started dabbling in a course on sprint mechanics. While looking into that, I realised that things related to these topics were not being discussed widely. Through that education, I understood that [playing] cricket is just part of your life. Cricket is not your life. You can't play cricket your whole life. If you want to pursue coaching, you need to understand what coaching is because it is totally different to playing. Similarly with broadcasting - even for that you need to study.
"I'm just thinking ahead to two days, four days, one week, next match. That's it. You can prepare in your personal life for the long term, but in your professional life, it is those two-three days"
I realised then that once this phase [of my career] is over, I should be ready for the next one. I have today the base knowledge when I talk to someone about bowling. If I go into coaching, I should be ready.
How do bowlers defend themselves in the current environment when batters are very aggressive throughout the innings?
(Smiles) The bowler runs in saying: I will get you out; the batsman says: I will hit you for a six. When there's nothing to lose, a person learns a lot. If you disregard some of the early matches of this IPL [as of April 3], and three-four matches from the last IPL, the bowlers have started to dominate.
(Smiles) The bowler runs in saying: I will get you out; the batsman says: I will hit you for a six. When there's nothing to lose, a person learns a lot. If you disregard some of the early matches of this IPL [as of April 3], and three-four matches from the last IPL, the bowlers have started to dominate.
If you noticed last evening [in the RCB vs Titans game], how brilliantly [Mohammed] Siraj bowled [against RCB] and Prasidh [Krishna] too. Our bowlers are also learning how to execute the plans more accurately so that [the carnage] that starts from the first ball, we can delay that a bit and at least we [bowlers] get some breathing space.
Has the planning changed or have the pitches also become more supportive of bowlers?
It sounds nice hearing such a thing, but with the bounce, you also get hit for sixes! The wicket in [the RCB-Titans] match was good, but it was not like it was seaming or there was extra bounce. It was RCB's home ground, they provided that wicket. But how GT's bowling unit executed plans was magical for me. They were bowling in such good areas and the ball was swinging amazingly. If you saw, Siraj was not just swinging the ball, he was also bowling cross-seams and other variations, and his plans were very clear. I am not saying the wicket should not be supportive, but whatever pitches we get, our plans need to be clear.
It sounds nice hearing such a thing, but with the bounce, you also get hit for sixes! The wicket in [the RCB-Titans] match was good, but it was not like it was seaming or there was extra bounce. It was RCB's home ground, they provided that wicket. But how GT's bowling unit executed plans was magical for me. They were bowling in such good areas and the ball was swinging amazingly. If you saw, Siraj was not just swinging the ball, he was also bowling cross-seams and other variations, and his plans were very clear. I am not saying the wicket should not be supportive, but whatever pitches we get, our plans need to be clear.
Nagraj Gollapudi is news editor at ESPNcricinfo