Our captain, Rohit Sharma was in good form during the Test & ODI series against New Zealand making valuable contributions, but is currently recovering from a thigh injury. Rohit is undoubtedly a box of entertainment with a bat in his hand and this is one of the many reasons why all his fans are eagerly waiting for him to make a comeback to international cricket.

In an interaction on Facebook, he answered a variety of questions from his fans. Some were bouncers, while some were juicy full-tosses. Here’s how Rohit performed during his 30 minutes net session with his fans.

Q) You have always performed well after an injury? Is it the attitude and mind-set that helps a cricketer when he comes back after an injury?

A) Injuries are part of a cricketer’s career. I have faced it before and I recovered from it. You need to stay mentally strong and focus on your recovery and rehab process. It’s not really in your control. You need to come back fitter and stronger and that is something I have always worked on. You need to stay focussed and be positive about it.

Q) How do you feel when you get out for low scores? What is your team-mates reaction to that?

A) Team mates will never be happy but they realise that a player is trying his utmost to perform. There are times when you may not score for a number of games or even a few series. It is important not to lose focus and have self-belief. There will be ups and downs in a cricketer’s career, but you need to keep on putting in effort and that will help you achieve your target.

Q) What are the minor changes required in shifting from one format to the other? What are your views on it?

A) There are technical and mental adjustments that have to be made, which helps you react to different situations. Mental strength helps you on the field in difficult situations. There is a lot of cricket being played in all 3 formats. Currently, the Indian team is playing Tests and that will be followed by ODIs. The players are used to it and have trained their mind to adapt to the situation.

Q) How do you view the recent Test series versus New Zealand in your progression as a Test cricketer and what did you learn from it?

A) You learn something new from every game. Every series and tour is a learning curve. You are put in different situations where you have to react. The Test series against New Zealand was great because we won it 3-0. That was more important to me then my personal performances. I was focussed on my batting and my contributions lower down the order were very useful. The injury was very unfortunate but hopefully I will be back soon.

Q) What is your favourite memory of Eden Gardens?

A) I have a lot of good memories of Eden and it’s difficult to pick one. It’s a special ground and it feels like home. I’ve always loved playing there and the crowd always supports the players to the core. My top 3 memories would be the ODI World record of 264 against Sri Lanka. I made my Test debut there and I have won a couple of IPL titles there. The first time I was handed over the reins of captaincy was at Eden against KKR. We went on to play the Final there and won the championship. The same thing happened in 2015. It will always have a special place in my heart.

Q) Can you comment on your name ‘Hitman’?

A) It was a name given to me way back in 2013. I was playing against Australia at Bangalore and Ravi Shastri was in the commentary box. It all started when I reached 200 and I’m sure everyone loves it.

Q) What is your favourite holiday destination?

A) It depends on when we get time off. We play so much cricket that we hardly get any time off. In June and July I like to go to a place with a beach as I like to enjoy during the summer. During November, December and January I like to go to cold places like London and New York. I enjoy those places, because it never gets cold in Mumbai.

Q) Which is your favourite shot in cricket?

A) The pull shot is my favourite shot and the other is the square cut. I grew up playing on cement pitches back home. On those pitches the ball comes on pretty fast and that helped me improve my back foot play.

Q) Will you be missing Team India because the 4th Test between India and England will be played at the Wankhede.

A) I am obviously be missing it. I don’t like sitting and watching when my team plays but I can’t do anything about it. However, I get to spend time with my family and friends. I am a family man and I get to spend time with my loved ones and watch cricket on television. I will start working on my recovery process pretty soon.

Q) Which city do you like the most?

A) Mumbai. I am a Mumbaikar and I like my city more than anything else. The city has given me so much and there is so much happiness. I like the city a lot.

Rohit concluded the interview and said that it was great talking to everyone. He hoped that people understood that he couldn’t answer everyone and that he would be back soon. He thanked everyone for their questions.