Veteran pacer Mohit Sharma made a fantastic comeback in the 2023 edition of IPL as he picked two wickets and conceded just 18 runs against Punjab Kings on Thursday at the PCA IS Bindra International Stadium. Mohit Sharma said that it is better to be a net bowler as it helped him to get back his shape.
“I had had a back surgery, and a lot of people weren’t sure if I had played enough domestic cricket (to be signed at the auction),” Mohit said to the broadcasters.
“Obviously, if you have to upgrade your cricket or better it in any way, you need competitive practice. I felt, what am I going to do sitting at home? I was here and doing competitive practice instead, I kept myself involved in cricket, and I think it was a good time for me.”
Earlier, Mohit clinched the purple cap back in the 2014 edition of IPL. The 34-year-old was part of the Indian team that played in the semifinal of the 2015 ODI World Cup. In Thursday’s clash between Gujarat and Punjab, Mohit scalped the wickets of Jitesh Sharma and Sam Curran to put Punjab in the commanding position. “It’s not a bad thing to be a net bowler,” he said.
“You get very good exposure, you get to play alongside good players, and if you don’t do competitive practice, your cricket won’t evolve.”
For PBKS, Matthew Short was the star with the bat as he scored 36 off 24 balls. Shahrukh Khan also contributed and played a useful hand of 9-ball 22 and helped his team get past 150.
It was Rahul Tewatia who batted lower down the order and once again finished the game for his side. He stood with the bat when Gujarat needed 4 runs from the final two balls. He gave his side a facile win after smashing a boundary in the last two balls.