‘When I was at Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni never used to speak to me much’

New Delhi: Speedster Mohit Sharma, who calls himself a "beginner in international cricket" attributes his recent success in international cricket to the opportunities that was given to him by his IPL and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Mohit has played 20 ODIs and four T20s since making his international debut in August 2013. It would be fair to say that he is a regular in the limited overs squad, if not in the playing XI. However, the soft spoken cricketer from Faridabad sees his position in the side differently.

"Actually I still see myself as a beginner. The only big difference (since debut) has been that I spend double time on my bowling and fitness. When you finally get to play for India, then you realise how tough it is to keep doing well and maintain your place in the team," Mohit told PTI before leaving for Bangladesh for the three-match ODI series.

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Next month, he is set to travel to Zimbabwe, a place where he donned the India jersey for the first time in 2013 following a successful IPL with Chennai Super Kings. Mohit may not be in the 'express league' like Umesh Yadav or Varun Aaron, but has made good use of his strength, which is consistently bowling an accurate line and length.

Ask him about his evolution as a bowler in the last two years, the 26-year-old has plenty to say: "I think I am a lot wiser now. I am able to assess the situation much faster than earlier times. I have experienced major changes in my body as well, the fitness has increased and because of that I have gained speed as well. Overall, I feel much more knowledgeable about the game.”

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"I am very much a beginner but learning can't stop even if you become a very big player. When you enter international cricket, you instantly get to know what to do at what time just by sitting in the dressing room (waha baith ke hee kaafi kuch seekhne ko mil jaata hain). Besides that, the pressure situations teach you a lot," Mohit pointed out.

And he doesn't like if you only call him a line and length bowler. "I may not be super quick but I think I bowl at a decent pace. I have been consistently hitting 135-140 kmph and that's decent speed. And it’s not just about pace for me. I focus on landing the ball in the right areas and leave the rest to the conditions. Having said that, I understand that I need to improve my pace further," he retorts.

Like many others, luck has played a substantial role in Mohit's fledgling career. He replaced an injured Ishant Sharma in the World Cup squad and ended up playing in all eight matches, taking 13 wickets at an average of 24.15.

"Really feel fortunate to be part of that squad and whatever chances I have got so far, it has been made possible by Mahi bhai (Dhoni). Anyone who is new to international cricket cannot do well without the support of his captain. I feel lucky to be playing under him in the IPL and in the Indian team,” Mohit, who was all praise for the India ODI skipper said.

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"The best part about him is that he helps you out in all matters, on and off the field. But I did not feel this way when I just joined Chennai Super Kings. When I was new at Super Kings, he never used to talk to me much. And when your captain is not talking to you, you often feel that you are doing something wrong. But I realised it was not like that when I eventually spoke to him,” Mohit added.

"The first thing he told me that 'if I would have straightaway come to you and spoken, you would have felt the pressure of doing well. I know you have already done well in the Ranji Trophy and you will do here as well'. For a beginner like me, those words coming from Mahi bhai gives you a huge push," Mohit asserted.

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While he spends a lot of time with Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) when he is with the Indian team, Ashish Nehra is his 'go to man' in IPL.

"I have grown up watching Ashu bhai (Nehra) bowl. He advises you in every phase of the game, how to bowl on a particular pitch, how to bowl in a specific situation. Normally, we underestimate the length ball in T20s but he has made me understood that length is a very important part of your bowling,” Mohit said.

"For example, it is rare you see AB (de Villiers) or Chris Gayle hitting a length ball for a six. Either we pitch it too full or too short. Before they try something, the bowler ends up trying a lot and ends up giving loose balls," explains Mohit.

We conclude the chat by asking him about his Test ambitions. "As I said before, I am working a lot on my fitness. If I get an opportunity, I am fully ready for the five-day format," a confident Mohit signed off.