On the eve of MI's encounter against DC at Abu Dhabi, Rohit Sharma spoke to the fans on the third episode of Captain's Corner.

The skipper took them behind-the-scenes, shared his thoughts on the winning streak, and introduced another special guest.

We created a lot of magic around the field

Within a space of six days, Mumbai Indians played three matches. With the venues being different, Rohit termed it as a challenge to get acclimatized to the conditions. However, at the end of the day, he was happy that everything went according to plan.

"It’s been a good week for us, having won three games in a row. You need that momentum to keep the team driving forward. Starting from Kings XI Punjab, then Sunrisers Hyderabad, and then Rajasthan Royals. Three different venues, so we had to plan differently. Especially Sharjah. The biggest challenge about playing in Sharjah was the travel for us. It took us nearly three hours on the bus to go there to Sharjah. Everything went according to plan."

Mumbai Indians ended up winning three consecutive games and also climbed to the top of the points table for a brief period. What was even praiseworthy was that every match, different characters were stepping their game and carrying the team forward. Kieron Pollard against KXIP, Quinton de Kock against SRH, and Suryakumar Yadav against RR.

"It was not the easiest condition but that’s the challenge (Dream11) IPL brings to you or the sport brings to you. Everybody was up for the challenge and a lot of guys put their hands up in different scenarios, which helped us go through or cross over the line. As a captain, what I was impressed by was our fielding and we created a lot of magic around the field. Lots of catches, lots of energy on the field."

James Pamment has always got his whole fielding list planned out

Data Performance Manager CKM Dhanajai and Sports Massage Therapist Amit Shah were the special guests in the first two episodes of Captain's Corner. This time, it was James Pamment, who was introduced by Rohit. The fielding coach spoke about his experience with Mumbai Indians, fielding attitude, and more.

Here we take you through the excerpts of their conversation:

Rohit: "Just want to ask you, how’s the experience been for the last two years with the squad?"

Jimmy: "It’s been incredible. I mean coming from a background of domestic cricket in New Zealand and a little bit with the international team as well, to join in an organization and franchise like MI has been a great part of my working career, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it."

Rohit: "Now we move towards the second half of the tournament, which is very very critical for all of us. Fielding, we’ve seen plays a huge part in any tournament you play because it’s really in your control how you want to manage your space. Having the right attitude on the field is very important."

Jimmy: "Absolutely, It’s all about the attitude. If we can help guys with their routine so that they’re ready to anticipate what’s likely to happen next. Everybody at this level has got knowledge around what’s likely to happen in the next period of play. What the batsman is going to try to do. We know what our bowlers are trying to do because we have plans that we are all a part of. So, just making sure that anticipation is sharp. If those routines are clear, then all we need is a strong attitude and plenty of energy. If we keep bringing that, then we are a tough team."

Rohit: "That’s always been the goal for us. To get better, not get complacent from what you achieve on that particular day. Just keep striving for more. Speaking of the catches, how tough it is for someone like Anukul Roy because Polly has been there and done that. How difficult has it been for him mentally?"

Jimmy: "It was a stunning catch and for me, that will help Anukul’s confidence. I’ve worked closely with Anukul over the last two years and slowly tried to encourage the management to believe that he was a guy that we needed to keep promoting. That will give him a massive amount of confidence. He has worked so hard on his fielding, as has Rahul Chahar and some of the young guys as well, who I get to spend more time with like I say. So, I’m delighted when you see them producing moments of brilliance."

Rohit: "And it’s very simple between me and him as well, because me being the captain, he has got his whole list planned out, as to who is going to stand where for which batter. And it’s really up to me to maneuver all these guys on the field. And then obviously, before we go onto the field, Jimmy talks with the key players, the key fielders who are supposed to be in the right position. That makes a huge difference."

Jimmy: "Absolutely, if you’re organized in advance, you don’t need to be a party to all the conversations that we’re having because your main relationship is with the bowler. Making sure that you’re getting the insights that he’s thinking. Because if the plan changes, you don’t need to be looking around and changing all the fielders. You just want to make the minor adjustments."

Rohit: "Any particular thing that you’re looking for from the team for the second half of Dream11 IPL? Because I think it’s going to be very critical."

Jimmy: "If we’re doing the basics well, just challenging the guys to produce some more moments of brilliance."

Rohit: "Yeah, that moment of brilliance just brings the team together on the field, and it’s quite helpful on the ground."

Fan Questions

In the final segment of the episode, Rohit took a couple of questions from Paltan.

Shounak Amol Soman (Pune): "You were the Man of the Match when MI won the IPL back in 2015. Do you remember your score? And how did you feel when you lifted the IPL trophy?"

Rohit: "My score in the 2015 IPL final was 50 off 26 balls, against CSK. It was a great experience to lift the trophy. Every time you lift the trophy, It’s a brilliant experience. It’s just unreal. Getting all the team members on the podium and having that moment when you lift the cup, it’s just unreal."

Swapnil Raut: "I’ve noticed that your moves are quite measured and that you have a great analytical mind. So, how much do you depend on these decisions to be made via analysis? How much do you depend on your instincts, both while batting and while captaining the team?"

Rohit: "I do depend on analytics, but not entirely. You have to be instinctive as well when you’re on the field because the game can change at any point. Like we discuss certain things in the team room but everything just can’t go according to the plan that has been discussed. The batting order of the opposition can change at any time depending on what bowler is bowling, how many runs they need, and all of that. So I have to change my decisions according to that."

"I rely a lot on analytics but I’m also prepared to make instinctive decisions on the field as well. It is important for me to not just completely rely on that. It is nice to have some information in the back of your mind, but not entirely. You just have to be instinctive on the ground. This analytics that we get helps a little bit but you also need to read the game and make sure that you make the right decision on the field."