Published 20:01 IST, August 19th 2020
'Hitman' Rohit Sharma is 'up and running' as he hits the nets ahead of IPL 2020
It was business as usual for 'Hitman' Rohit Sharma as he hit the nets at RCP ahead of IPL 2020 where Mumbai Indians will be defending their title
Rohit Sharma has finally got an opportunity to sweat it out in the nets and he made the most of it as he is seemingly hitting the nets for the first time in over five months. Meanwhile, Rohit also decided to treasure this moment by posting the same on social media.
'Up and running': Rohit Sharma
Taking to the micro-blogging site, the Mumbai Indians skipper had posted a video where he can be seen padding up, taking a good look at his helmet before wearing it and then sweating it out in the nets in what might have been an intense net session to get into the groove and rediscover his rhythm before he leads the defending champions on the cricket field in a few days time. He captioned this video as ''Up and running' as he meant business right away after coming back from a long break.
In the video, the 'Hitman' can be seen running as a part of the warm-up exercise before hitting the nets. Once inside the nets, the dashing opener can be seen playing a wide range of shots that include his signature pull shot, late cut, hook shot, cover-drive, and a few defensive shots as well.
The practice/net session took place at the Reliance Corporate Park in Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai. The good thing about the venue is that it has a new inground set up to protect the players from the rains and the elegant Mumbai batsman is making the most of it.
All the players including the likes of skipper Rohit Sharma, premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, etc. have not had a net session in the last few months due to the COVID outbreak, but they are back at training since the past two weeks and they will be looking to sweat it out before heading to the Middle Eastern country for IPL 2020 as they look to get some much-needed match practice.
The IPL 2020
Four-time winners Mumbai Indians will be defending their title this time around. Coming back to IPL 2020, it will also be the first time that an IPL final will be played on a weekday. The tournament decider will be played on the day of Diwali. This will be the third time that the IPL will be held outside India (after 2009, and 2014 editions) and at the same time, it will also be the second occasion after 2009 where all the IPL matches will be played abroad.
The 2009 edition was entirely held in South Africa due to the General Elections. The tournament was won by the now-defunct Deccan Chargers who had edged past the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a low-scoring thriller. The first half of the 2014 edition was held in the UAE due to the General Elections while the second half of that tournament was played in India.
As per reports, MI will be heading to the Gulf on August 21 and Rohit Sharma & Co. will be staying at St Regis, Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi.
Updated 20:01 IST, August 19th 2020