New Delhi, Feb 27: Right-arm pacer Mohit Sharma, who will be playing for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is looking forward to work alongside head coach Ricky Ponting.
Currently training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to regain his fitness post-surgery, Mohit said, "I am at a stage where good guidance can change the course of my career. I am really excited to learn from Ponting and the rest of the coaching staff."
He believes that the strong Indian core will play a key role when the 2020 edition of the tournament kicks off on March 29. "To win the IPL, the performance of your domestic players counts the most," he said. "I think Delhi Capitals has the strongest bunch of Indian cricketers this season. We have the right mix of youth and experience."
"Even last year, the general consensus among other franchises was that Delhi Capitals was the team with the most potential, thanks to their promising young players. I am confident that we can perform even better this year," he added.
The right-arm, medium pacer came into the limelight in the 2012-2013 Ranji season, following which he was signed on by Chennai Super Kings. He impressed, taking 20 wickets from 15 matches.
The following season, he won the IPL's Purple Cap for most wickets in the tournament - 23.
From 2016 to 2018, he played for Kings XI Punjab, before being re-picked by CSK in 2019. He has 91 IPL wickets to his name, and is one of the tournament's most effective bowlers in powerplays.
His consistency in domestic cricket earned Sharma an India call up in 2013. He has 31 wickets from 26 ODIs and 6 wickets from 8 T20Is.
Hailing from Ballabhgarh in Haryana, Mohit considers Feroz Shah Kotla - now known as the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium -- his home ground, "I have been playing at Kotla since I was 16. When I found out that I was picked by Delhi Capitals at the auction, I was delighted to finally get a chance to play for my "home team".
Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 13 campaign against Kings XI Punjab on March 30 in the national capital.