He’s been with us since 2011 now, but it feels like Mumbai Indians is the only team that Rohit Sharma has played for. The captain bleeds the blue and gold colours that he so proudly dons on his sleeve. Not only has Rohit etched his name into the heart of every Mumbai Indians fan, he’ll also find his place right among there among the greats to have played for this wonderful team.

Speaking to Times of India, Rohit tried to analyse how he has grown as a captain ever since he was appointed leader in 2013, “I try and stick to my strengths and plans. There’s a lot of planning and strategizing that goes on behind the scenes. That’s not visible. I do like to do my homework before I get on to the field, try and understand which way the game is likely to be going in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, try and find matchups for the opponent. These are the kinds of things I try and work with the help of the coaching staff, analysts, everyone. They keep throwing their thoughts and ideas at me and I try and execute them.”

Here’s a man who always backs his players. They have his unwavering support and respond to the belief instilled in them by the skipper, “To let your teammates know that falling once or twice is not going to change anything as long as your focus stays and you keep looking at the big picture, that’s something I believe in. Pick your men, back them, and let them think about ways to succeed instead of just bogging them down with pressure in any way.”

Instincts? Yes, that’s what Rohit relies on to drive him on to his next decision, to make that big call in times of trouble. He’s a man who swears by his gut, ‘’Somewhere, I also react instinctively. No matter how much planning you do, captaincy in cricket is all about instincts and that is something that comes naturally to me.’’

We’ve seen the likes of the Pandya brothers, Mitchell McClenaghan and many others perform to the best of their abilities under Rohit’s captaincy. How did he get the best out of them?  “Give all the liberty and freedom you can to your teammates to go out and express themselves. That’s how, one can bring the best out of a player.” Simple.

That same philosophy is also something Rohit swears by, “When someone came and told you: Just go out there and enjoy the game without any pressure, it simply allows you to be your natural self, without having to worry too much about things that you cannot control.”

Prior to this IPL season, it’s been a while since the ‘Hitman’ took to the field. His injury lay-off has been well-documented and the captain added some more insight to his comeback, “The whole comeback, just to put it in one perspective, wasn’t necessarily a very comfortable one. It’s not about just returning from an injury, attending nets, padding up and going out to bat. As a captain, there are a whole lot of other responsibilities I had to shoulder, getting combinations right, getting strategies in place. As a player, it would’ve meant focusing more on my individual responsibilities. But as one of the leaders, the entire set-up, the focus has to be equally divided.”

With six wins from a possible eight and sitting pretty atop the IPL table, Mumbai Indians have betrayed the ‘slow-starters’ tag they’ve been slapped with, “We didn’t want to start slow, which has happened in the past.’’ Rohit said, “So far, we’ve done well and that’s been possible because of the kind of group we have. The good things about this unit is nobody’s trying to outdo each other. It’s about the team and what it wishes to achieve. Effectively, individual brilliance has to account for team brilliance.”

And while rotation within the squad was evident so far, Rohit explains the controversy that has emerged from it, “It’s only in the best interest of the team. Nothing to disappoint anyone. In the first, we noticed there was a good amount of grass covering and a good carry – that’s what all of us though and we went ahead with that decision (to bench Harbhajan Singh), Malinga has been under the weather for the last few weeks actually. He was playing in Sri Lanka and then he arrived here without a break, so we decided to check what Mitchell Johnson has in store for us.’’

But drifting away from the old warhorses, it’s the rise of young Nitish Rana that has made everyone sit up and take notice. Rana looks set to be the next in line of future Indians stars to emerge from MI, following in the footsteps of Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Rohit lavished praise on his side’s scouting department for spotting Rana, “The domestic season that went by, a lot of people were talking about Nitish Rana and how he was going about. Last year, Nitish played the fag end of the tournament for us and in the last game he scored 70-odd runs off just 36 balls. We didn’t qualify, but we knew what he was capable of. As I said, the rest is all about giving individuals their space, let them go be themselves, go out and enjoy That aside, the credit here has to go to our scouting group, that was quick to realize it. Guys like Robin Singh, John Wright, Rahul Sanghvi – they’re the guys who’re always on the hunt, scouting for young talent.”

On a personal note, Rohit Sharma seems to have turned a corner after a stuttering start to the season. The captain played a vintage knock, scoring a half-century that would ultimately go in vain against Rising Pune Supergiant, “Yes, I was a little rusty (at the start) but that’s not an excuse for not scoring. I don’t believe in taking three or four games to loosen up. Once you’re there, you’re either scoring or not scoring. Here’s my philosophy: I wouldn’t worry so much if I walked out to bat and got out in the first two, three or four deliveries. However; I’ll worry if I bat for a good 15-20 balls and then get out. That would mean, throwing away the wicket.”

For everyone at Mumbai Indians, the hope rests on Rohit carrying his recently rediscovered form through the course of the season. Few can stop the Hitman when he’s loaded.

Quotes courtesy: Times of India