Pune, Apr 8 (IANS): In a soul-stirring speech to his Mumbai Indians team-mates, skipper Rohit Sharma urged them to be hungrier and become more proactive in IPL 2022. Mumbai, the five-time IPL champions, have endured a disastrous start to the tournament, losing all three matches and are placed ninth on the points table with a net run rate (NRR) of -1.362.
After Pat Cummins stunned Mumbai with a record 14-ball half century, Sharma made a motivational speech to his team-mates in a video posted on the franchise's social media handles.
"We seriously cannot be blaming individuals here. It's all of us. We win together, we lose together. That is as simple as that for me. I think slight desperation is required from each one of us.
"That desperation is very, very, very important when we play, especially in this tournament. Because oppositions are different, they come up with different plans all the time. We just need to stay ahead of them. We just need to stay on top of them. And the only way we can do that is by having that slight hunger and that desperation on the field -- with the bat, with the ball."
Sharma then called upon his team to get the little things right in a match as they can help them in getting the momentum in their favour.
"So we are doing some good things. All three games that we've played, we've done some really good things.
"It's just that those little moments, and that indication, you know an individual has to understand, in that period of time when the game is happening. There will be an indication that 'this is the over'. What we do in that over, those little, little things -- that we need to try and squeeze that, and get it towards our side. Get that momentum towards our side."
Sharma further urged his team to not panic at crucial situations in the game. "We don't need to panic. Honestly, we talk about talent, potential and everything in this room -- but until we bring that desperation and hunger on the ground, oppositions are not going to hand us wins just like that. They certainly took the victory from us. We need to do that against the opposition as well. We need to nail those crucial moments and then see what happens, after that."
Sharma, 34, encouraged his team to regroup and fire as a unit ahead of their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Pune on Saturday.
"There's no point in putting our heads down at this point, because it's still early days. And I feel that, in these three games that we've played, we've shown some character. It's just that collectively, all 11 of us inside -- whoever goes inside -- need to come together.
"That's all. Let's keep our heads up. I don't think we need to look down and start worrying about things. Honestly, we don't need to worry about things. We can talk about so much stuff off the field, but I think it's in there, what we want to achieve as a group. Again, this is not the bowling group or batting group, this is all of us -- all of us here. We need to come together, not one or two individuals. Everyone needs to come together. That is what I feel."