Cricket

India's skipper Rohit Sharma has acknowledged his subpar batting performance in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Despite his struggles, Sharma emphasized the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and working on his flaws.During the second half of the season, Sharma endured a dismal run, failing to cross the 20-run mark in six consecutive matches for Mumbai Indians. However, he regained some form in their final match against Lucknow Super Giants, scoring a 38-ball 68. Despite his late resurgence, Mumbai finished the season at the bottom of the table."As a batter, I know I didn't live up to the standard," Sharma admitted. "But, after playing for all these years, I know that if I overthink, I won't play well."Sharma's focus has been on maintaining a positive mindset and continuing to practice. "All I try is to stay in a good mindset, in the right zone, keep practicing, and improve on all the flaws in my game. That's all I kept doing," he said.Despite Mumbai's disappointing season, Sharma believes the team made too many mistakes and lost games they should have won. "Our season didn't go according to plan. We blame ourselves for this because we made too many mistakes during the season. We lost many games that we should have won, but that's the nature of the IPL. You get a few chances and when those chances come, you must grab them."Looking ahead to the upcoming T20 World Cup, Sharma revealed that the Indian team had a clear idea of their squad composition and the roles of each player. "We thought a lot about the team we ultimately selected for the World Cup. The spinners, seamers, batters, and keepers, we knew before the IPL who we would take to the World Cup."Sharma emphasized the importance of providing clarity to players regarding their roles and responsibilities. "Everyone going into the IPL needed clarity of whether they would participate in the team and what their role would be so they could practice and play accordingly. All of these indicators we had shared with 70% of the team before the IPL."India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5.

The Indian cricket team, along with its extensive support staff, will embark on their journey to the Twenty20 World Cup in New York on May 25. The remaining players will depart after the May 26 IPL final.Initially, players from teams eliminated from the IPL playoffs were scheduled to leave for New York on May 21, two days after the final league game on May 19. However, plans have been revised, and the first batch will now depart on May 25."Players like Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Arshdeep Singh, and Axar Patel, along with support staff, are expected to leave on May 25," a BCCI source revealed on condition of anonymity."The departure date for the first batch was originally May 21, but since India is only playing one warm-up game (against Bangladesh on June 1), the players will have extra time at home," the source added.Only players participating in the IPL final will remain and depart for New York on May 27. This will provide the squad with ample time to adjust to the time difference and have several quality net sessions before the Bangladesh warm-up match.India will begin their World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York, followed by the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on June 9.

Rohit Sharma's scintillating performance in Mumbai Indians' final league match of the Indian Premier League 2024 against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday provided a glimmer of hope amidst a dismal season for the franchise. Despite his valiant efforts, MI succumbed to an 18-run defeat at Wankhede Stadium, marking the end of a disappointing campaign.Sharma's aggressive innings of 68 off 38 deliveries earned him a standing ovation as he left the field. His performance was a testament to his class and determination, even in the face of adversity. Following the match, MI shared a heartwarming video showcasing a special moment in the team's dressing room where Sharma was awarded a medal for his performance by team owner Nita Ambani, a gesture of appreciation for the former MI skipper.Earlier, after the season-ending defeat, Nita Ambani and Rohit Sharma were seen engaged in a deep conversation on the sidelines. Photos and videos of their discussion quickly went viral on social media, fueling speculation about the Indian cricket team captain's future with the franchise.The speculation surrounding Sharma's future at MI adds another layer of intrigue as fans eagerly await any announcements regarding potential changes within the team. With MI finishing at the bottom of the standings with just four points from 14 games, this season has been particularly tough for the franchise, marred by controversies and disappointing performances.Sharma's performance in the final match, coupled with the ongoing discussions with Nita Ambani, has sparked rumors about a possible change in leadership or even a trade to another team. However, no official announcements have been made, and it remains to be seen what the future holds for Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians.

Mumbai Indians' disappointing IPL 2024 campaign, which culminated in a tenth-place finish, has been attributed to the negative fan reaction to the change in captaincy from Rohit Sharma to Hardik Pandya, according to head coach Mark Boucher.The team's performance suffered as the crowd's disapproval of Pandya's leadership became evident. Boucher expressed sympathy for Pandya, acknowledging that the off-field distractions may have affected his on-field performances."It wasn't great hearing all the boos," Boucher said. "Certainly, I felt sorry for Hardik as well. It's never nice to go through something like that."Boucher admitted that the team's performance was below par and that changes need to be made. He emphasized the need to address both on-field and off-field issues to improve the team's performance in the future."There are certain things that did affect individuals, which ultimately did affect the team," Boucher said. "So those are the sort of things we need to sit down and address and hopefully make some good calls going forward as well to address the off-field stuff."Despite the challenges, Boucher believes that Pandya has the potential to be a successful captain. He highlighted Pandya's support within the dressing room and expressed confidence that he will learn from this experience."He certainly had a lot of support within our dressing room but it's a tough thing to go through as a player," Boucher said. "There's a lot of sympathy for what he's going through. A lot of the stuff he is going through is, I think, uncalled for."Regarding Rohit Sharma's future with the franchise, Boucher stated that no decision has been made. He emphasized that Sharma is in control of his own destiny and that the team will have to wait and see what happens in the upcoming auction.

Rohit Sharma's Audio Anxiety: Captain Requests Cameraman to Disable AudioIn a humorous turn of events, India captain and Mumbai Indians player Rohit Sharma has made a humble request to the official broadcaster's cameraman to disable the audio while recording his conversation with Dhawal Kulkarni. This incident comes just days after his intriguing chat with Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Abhishek Nayar went viral on social media.The new video has surfaced, showing Rohit making a funny appeal. "Bhai audio band karo haan. Ek audio ne mera wat laga diya. (Brother please close the audio, one audio has already made things difficult for me)," said Rohit in the clip recorded by Star Sports.The recent incident occurred when Rohit was engaged in a lighthearted chat with Kulkarni ahead of Mumbai Indians' IPL 2024 game against Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede Stadium.Earlier, during Mumbai Indians' IPL 2024 match against KKR at Eden Gardens, an interaction between Rohit and Nayar became a viral sensation. The video was reportedly deleted by KKR after it garnered unwanted attention, further fueling speculation.Despite the background noise in the viral video, social media users deciphered the conversation between Rohit and Nayar. "Ek ek cheez change ho raha hai...Woh unke upar hai...Jo bhi hai woh mera ghar hai bhai, woh temple jo hai na maine banwaya hai (Everything is changing one by one... It's on them... Whatever, but it's my home brother, it's the temple that I constructed)," Rohit was heard saying.It is noteworthy that Mumbai Indians replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as their captain ahead of IPL 2024. Rohit, who led MI to all five of their IPL titles, passed the baton to Hardik after the player was traded from Gujarat Titans in November 2023.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) emerged victorious over Mumbai Indians (MI) in a high-scoring encounter at the Wankhede Stadium, but both teams were left with a sense of disappointment. LSG's 18-run win took them to 14 points, but their negative net run rate (-0.667) kept them out of the top four. MI, on the other hand, finished bottom of the points table with their tenth defeat of the season.LSG's innings was anchored by Nicholas Pooran's blistering 75 off 29 deliveries. With the top order struggling, Pooran's knock injected life into the innings against an inexperienced MI attack missing Jasprit Bumrah. KL Rahul also contributed with a steady 55.MI's chase started promisingly with Rohit Sharma smashing boundaries at will. However, the middle overs proved disastrous as they lost five wickets for 32 runs, effectively ending their hopes of a realistic chase. Rohit's 68 and Tilak Varma's 62* were in vain as LSG's bowlers, led by Ravi Bishnoi (2-37) and Avesh Khan (2-50), kept them at bay.The result marked a disappointing end to MI's season under new captain Hardik Pandya, who finished last for the second time in three seasons. LSG, despite their impressive win, will also miss out on the playoffs for the first time in their three-season history.

Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson has hinted that the upcoming match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 could be Rohit Sharma's final game for Mumbai Indians (MI). This speculation stems from the recent appointment of Hardik Pandya as MI's new skipper, which has raised questions about Rohit's future with the franchise.Rohit, 37, has been an integral part of Mumbai Indians, leading them to five IPL titles since taking over the captaincy in 2013. However, the change in leadership has sparked rumors that IPL 2024 could be his last season with the team.In the current season, Rohit has been in impressive form, scoring 349 runs at a strike rate of 145.42 in 13 matches. His contributions have been significant, but the leadership change has led to increased speculation about his tenure with MI.Speaking on Jio Cinema, Watson expressed his belief that the match against LSG could mark the end of an era for Rohit with Mumbai Indians. "This could be Rohit Sharma's last game for Mumbai Indians," Watson said. "You never know how exactly things will play out after this season, but what an incredible player he has been and a leader for the Mumbai Indians."Watson also questioned the decision to remove Rohit from the captaincy, calling it a "wrong call." He believes that Rohit is a well-respected leader and that the change has destabilized the team. "For me personally, I think that was the wrong call," Watson said. "Because he is such a well-respected leader. It just shook up the team, knowing that they could move on next season potentially and have Hardik Pandya as captain."Last year, MI announced that Hardik Pandya would lead the franchise in the 2024 edition of the league. Pandya, who guided the Gujarat Titans to the IPL title in its debut season, returned to Mumbai after a successful stint with the Titans.The Mumbai-based franchise currently stands at the bottom of the IPL 2024 standings with eight points. Hardik Pandya's side has won just four games after playing 13 matches, displaying a sloppy performance in the tournament.

Rohit Sharma's Cryptic Remarks Spark Retirement SpeculationsAhead of the highly anticipated clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens, a video of Mumbai Indians' skipper Rohit Sharma engaging in a private conversation with KKR assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world.In the video, Rohit is heard saying, "Ek ek cheez change ho raha hai...Woh unke upar hai...Jo bhi hai woh mera ghar hai bhai, woh temple jo hai na maine banwaya hai." The last audible line in the chat was: "Bhai mera kya mera to ye last hai".These cryptic remarks have ignited speculation that the 2024 IPL season could mark Rohit's final appearance as a player. The timing of the video, just before the announcement of Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians' new captain, has further fueled these rumors.Rohit's comments have sparked a range of reactions on social media, with many fans expressing their sadness at the prospect of his retirement. Rohit has been a cornerstone of the Mumbai Indians franchise, leading them to five IPL titles.Just before the match against Lucknow Super Giants, Rohit was again caught on camera in a similar conversation with former MI pacer Dhawal Kulkarni. When Rohit noticed that someone was recording his video, he folded his hands and requested, "Bhai, audio band karo haan. Kasam se, ek audio ne mera waat laga diya hai".Mumbai Indians are currently languishing at the bottom of the IPL points table, having won just 4 matches in 13 outings. The team's poor performance has added to the speculation surrounding Rohit's future.Whether or not Rohit Sharma will retire after the 2024 IPL season remains to be seen. However, his cryptic remarks have certainly raised questions about his long-term plans.

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is the pinnacle of international cricket in the shortest format. As the tournament approaches, several veteran players may be facing their final opportunity to claim the coveted trophy.Rohit Sharma (India)The Indian captain has been a mainstay in T20Is since 2007 and played a crucial role in India's 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. Despite his recent form concerns, Rohit remains a key figure for India and will be eager to lead his team to glory in the upcoming tournament.Virat Kohli (India)Kohli, one of the greatest batsmen of all time, is desperate to add a T20 World Cup title to his impressive resume. He has been in stellar form in the ongoing IPL 2024 and will be India's main run-scorer in the tournament.David Warner (Australia)The aggressive left-handed opener has been a cornerstone of Australia's success in recent years. Having retired from Tests and ODIs, Warner will be determined to end his international career on a high by winning the T20 World Cup.Moeen Ali (England)The versatile all-rounder has been a key player for England in T20 cricket. He won the 2022 T20 World Cup and will be hoping to make a significant contribution in the upcoming tournament.Quinton de Kock (South Africa)The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter has retired from Tests and ODIs and will be focusing solely on T20 cricket. He will be crucial to South Africa's hopes of winning their first global trophy.These veteran players will be eager to make the most of their final opportunity to win the T20 World Cup. Their experience and leadership will be invaluable to their respective teams as they battle for the prestigious silverware.