Indian Premier League: Will Ensure Players Don't Cross Their Limits on Field, says Rohit Sharma

India's opening batsman Rohit Sharma returns to the Indian Premier League to captain the Mumbai Indians in the eighth edition of the glitzy T20 tournament. The 27-year-old was involved in several heated exchanges with Australian cricketers on the recent tour Down Under but he has now vowed to ensure that his players don't cross certain "boundaries" in the IPL. (Ponting Backs Verbal Duels)

Rohit was present in the two-day match officials' conclave held by Simon Taufel. According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, the elegant right-handed batsman urged the umpires not to intervene when banters between players do not cross the line. (Ponting Heaps Praise on Rohit's Leadership)

"For the good of the game it is very important for the players and officials to gel together. We need to work together for the greater good of the game," Rohit told iplt20.com. "There are boundaries that should not be crossed. As the captain, it is my job to ensure there is no indiscipline in the field from my players. Cricket is such a beautiful sport and we don't want to spoil the fun of it by doing stupid things on the field that leads the focus to shift away from cricket." (Friends, Foes and Friends: Return of the IPL)

Rohit himself had been in the middle of at least two sledging incidents with the Australians recently. He first had a go at Mitchell Johnson in the second Test in Brisbane and the latter responded with a brutal 88 that took the game away from India. Rohit was again involved in a one-on-one with David Warner, who asked the India opener to speak in English after a verbal duel.

The IPL has seen some pretty intense verbal onslaughts even between players of the same nationality. The most recent was a face-off between Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli. Both incidentally hail from Delhi.

Rohit perhaps wants the umpires to not add any extra pressure by having regular words in such high-pressure situations.

"When you're on the field as a player or captain, there are certain things you want to avoid. When there is an intense game going on, the captain already has too much on his plate to think about.

"If the umpires come and talk to you about something else, you don't want to get your head messed up further and lose focus from the game. I was asked about it and I gave them an honest answer. I am sure they will take it on board and do what is best not only for the officials but also the players," Rohit said.