Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians captain, is not having a great Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. In 13 matches so far, he has scored 266 at an average of 20.46. With the T20 World Cup in five months' time, the Indian cricket team captain's form will be closely watched in the coming days too. Ahead of MI's match against SunRisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, Matthew Hayden and Sunil Gavaskar discussed at length on Sharma's lean patch. While the latter said Sharma's shot selection was a reason behind his low scores, Hayden had a different opinion.
Speaking about what has caused Rohit Sharma's run of middling form, Gavaskar said: "Shot selection. That's one of the reasons why he's getting off to these terrific starts, looks in no trouble whatsoever, gets to 30-40 and then the shot selection lets him down."
"I know it's an instinctive thing. You see the ball being released and then you play the shot. But sometimes when you predetermine that this is the shot that I'm going to play and the ball is not where you're expecting it, then you get into trouble. The ball is hitting the middle of the bat, it's just shot selection that has let him down," the former India captain added.
Hayden, however pointed out a different reason.
"I think it's mental fatigue. When you are in that mentally fatigued space, it comes to Sunny's point. Where you start to go, ' Right, what's my shot selection?'. I think when you are little bit of mentally fatigued, you try to shake the system a little bit. You want to get it easier and that leads to the dismissals. And then it's a compounding effects, because then poor results lead to extra poor results," Hayden said in the pre-match show on Star Sports.
"What fatigue are we talking about here?" Gavaskar then asked the former Australian cricket team player.
"When you got constant play, and these guys are always playing. The reality is it is a very unique set of circumstances. We played our game and then we could go to a friend's place, we could get out, we could enjoy each other's company. What happens when you are in an environment of bubbles, and you are playing in such conditions for two years, it closes in on you. The expectations are there, because there is such excellence that gets demanded. I do feel for them," Hayden further explained his point.
To which, Gavaskar said: "If it's like a family, the environment, which is what they have, big suits, their family is with them, it's not like they are enclosed in a room. If they were enclosed in a room, then that's terrible. But when you play cricket for your franchise or your country, some sacrifices have to be made. Sacrifices like you may not be go out to see a cinema, go out shopping. Because this is a sport which you love. But shot selection, it can't be because of fatigue. I think fatigue should not be given as a reason. That's my view. I am totally happy to be proven wrong."
Against SRH, Sharma registered his highest score of the season - 48 - but his team lost by three runs.