Gujarat Titans pacer Mohit Sharma has opened up on his heartbreaking last over of the just concluded IPL 2023 final where star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja slammed him for a maximum and a boundary in the final two balls to set up a thrilling Chennai Super Kings (CSK) victory, saying that he couldn’t sleep and kept thinking what different could have been done.
With 13 needed off the last over, the experienced Mohit nailed four yorkers upfront and conceded just three runs against Shivam Dube and Jadeja before the tables turned when he missed his marker and Jadeja smacked a maximum over long-on in the fifth ball of the over on Monday night.
With four needed off the final delivery, Mohit bowled a low full toss down the leg side and Jadeja swiped it to fine leg for a boundary to hand CSK a record-equalling fifth IPL title.
“My mind was very clear about what I wanted to do. In the nets, I had practiced such situations and I have been in such scenarios before too. So I said let me bowl all balls yorkers and was backing my instinct,” Mohit told Indian Express.
Despite Mohit bowling well and being confident in his approach, his captain Hardik Pandya had walked up to him to share few words however, the pacer missed his length and bowled an undercooked yorker later which was slammed over long-on for a six in the second last ball.
After the end of the thrilling final, several cricket pundits raised questions on Hardik’s decision to have a chat with Mohit despite the pacer bowling well. However, Mohit defended his skipper, saying that he knew what he wanted to do.
“They wanted to know what will be his plan of action. I said I will again try to bowl yorker. People are now saying this and that but frankly it has no meaning. I knew what I wanted to do,” Mohit revealed.
Mohit, 34, also revealed that despite being hit by Jadeja on the fifth ball, he backed himself to repeat what he had done in the first four deliveries However, it did not go as planned.
“I ran and tried to bowl (yorker) again. I just wanted to be focussed and back myself. Whole IPL I have done that. The ball landed where it shouldn’t have and Jadeja got his bat. I tried, I tried my best,” said Mohit.
“I couldn’t sleep. Sochta raha kya alag karta joh match jeet jaate. What if I could have bowled this ball or that ball? It’s not a nice feeling now. Somewhere something is missing but I’m trying to move on,” he added.
Overall, Mohit had a terrific IPL 2023 season as he finished with 27 scalps from just 14 games for runners-up Gujarat Titans.