Mumbai Indians

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A tough and gruelling season in 2022 taught the team a lot of things and gave them lessons to take forward in the years to come.

A few of our players, starting with captain Rohit Sharma, had a few thoughts on what they learnt and how the knowledge will be useful in the future.

Never-say-die attitude

One thing that stood out for captain Ro during the season was how the team stuck together and no one ever stopped trying to do their best despite a lean run of results early on.

“The unity in the team is a good sign. I didn’t see any of them give up. We stayed together as a family. They were trying their best in training and I am proud of that. The camaraderie in the team has been excellent. We had one goal and everyone was working towards it,” stated Rohit.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Director of Cricket Operations, Zaheer Khan.

“It was an unexpected season but we do want to reflect on the learnings and the positives. It was great to see how the team stuck together and backed each other. Now it’s about how we look at the next season and how we prepare. We managed to end on a high and that was important for us. We are gonna come back stronger,” he felt.

Adapting to different challenges

For speedster Riley Meredith, it was a challenge to adapt to Indian conditions, where it is much hotter and the tracks offer lesser bounce than in his native Australia. He enjoyed that process though.

“It’s different from Australia, you have to bowl in different areas and use different variations. I just want to be more consistent and help the team. The effort to keep fighting is the one thing that stands out, it’s something the whole squad learnt to do. Everyone is really friendly here,” shared Riley.

Big hitter Tim David spent some time out of the playing XI and though he admitted it was a tough pill to swallow, he worked on supporting the team best and that helped him grow as a player.

“It was a rewarding season because me and the team were challenged. It got more comfortable as the season went on - I enjoyed speaking with Ishan, Tilak and Ramandeep. It was difficult to sit out but you have to accept it and support your teammates as much as you can. I worked really hard on my batting and the gym, I got stronger so it’s been a good period of growth,” revealed David.

All-rounder Daniel Sams had one of the most remarkable turnarounds in form from the initial few games to the latter part of the season and he was better for the experience.

“It was an important season for us to become better cricketers and better people. It helped me build a mental layer of strength. I have had to overcome challenges, I am proud of the way I bounced back. I talked to MJ about what he did when he was struggling. It’s been awesome,” said Sams.

Chatting with the seniors

For our standout youngsters of the season, interacting with senior statesmen like Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar and Mahela Jayawardene, among others, was a memorable experience.

“Talking to Sachin, Rohit and Mahela helped me gain confidence and become more mature. I played different types of innings in different conditions and situations so I learnt a lot of finer details. I talked to Rohit after every game and he told me to enjoy my game and focus on the present. The aim is to win every game so I want to give my 100 percent,” stated Tilak Varma.

One of the biggest learnings for his fellow teenager and good friend Dewald Brevis was to build situational awareness.

“I just wanted to be ready when my chance came. All the legends here just gave me simple advice to enjoy my game - just back yourself and trust your game. Everyone is special here and you enjoy every moment. I loved playing against the internationals, I learnt how to identify moments - like when to attack and when to take my time,” recalled Brevis.

For Hrithik Shokeen, it was about simulating match situations at the nets that helped him perform in the actual game.

“The captain and coaches told me to back my game and ability. They talk to me about practising match scenarios in the nets. We learnt a lot for next season,” said Hrithik.

Budding all-rounder Ramandeep Singh noted a very important thing about what can take him to the next level.

“I have learnt that confidence is the key to take you to the next level and you build it with your performances and hard work. I spoke to Rohit initially and when a legend like him is backing you, you feel like you have something. I was following the processes that he set for me. Everyone is family here,” stated Ramandeep.

Captain Ro was also impressed with what he saw of the youngsters’ mindset and identified that the support staff played a big role in bringing out this positivity.

“Some of them are going to be gun players in the future. Them putting their hand up and giving their best was the most pleasing part of the season. They are mentally strong and have that hunger. A lot of them were playing for the first time so it was our job to make them feel comfortable. The support from the management is crucial here and I am glad to know we have that. They gave us the freedom and support and I can see a bright future for the team,” concluded Rohit.

The collective effort of the team was crucial to us ending the season on a high and we could see the rewards of the team’s hard work and learnings taking shape during the second half.

This season has been a massive learning for everyone in the team and we cannot wait to be back with a bang next year!