IPL 2022: [Watch] Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan hit Mumbai Indians' nets for the first time
Mumbai Indians shared clips of skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan's first net session ahead of IPL 2022 on Saturday.
In a short behind-the-scenes video uploaded to the franchise's official YouTube channel, Rohit can be seen leaving his hotel room, saying goodbye to his family, and having some fun on the way to the ground. He looked in fine form in the nets, playing mostly on the backfoot and timing the ball well.
The video also included Ishan Kishan's entry to the ground alongside pacer Jaydev Unadkat and some of his warm-up drills. It then moved to short clips of the franchise's youngsters having some fun in pre-season shoots.
You can watch it here:
Mumbai Indians have also uploaded separate clips of Rohit and Ishan's net sessions in the past 12 hours. The captain showed his range in the former, playing shots all around the ground. The franchise titled it "Hitman Mode Activated". Ishan arguably looked in even better touch, hitting everything with sublime power.
You can watch the videos here:
The videos are likely from the Trident Bandra Kurla Complex, where the franchise is staying ahead of the season. Both have joined the team after participating in the home series against Sri Lanka. Rohit, although couldn't get a big knock under his belt, enjoyed his first series win as Test captain. Kishan, after struggling against West Indies, scored 105 runs from two innings in the T20I leg against the Lankans.
The two batters are the franchise's heaviest investments this season. While Rohit was retained for ₹16 crore, Ishan was bought back for a whopping ₹15.25 crore at the auction. Both couldn't show their usual form in IPL 2020, collecting 381 and 241 runs respectively. Resultantly, the team failed to make it to the qualifiers.
As openers, their role will be crucial once again and they will look to strike form early to fuel the team's turnaround.
When is the Mumbai Indians' first match of IPL 2022?
The Mumbai Indians' IPL 2022 campaign will kick-start on March 27 when they take on Delhi Capitals at the Barbourne Stadium. The match will begin at 3:30 pm IST.