Domestic players will help Delhi Capitals succeed, feels medium pacer Mohit Sharma

Delhi Capitals' new recruit, medium pacer Mohit Sharma feels the team's strong Indian core group, which has the right mix of youth and experience, will play a key role in the upcoming edition of the IPL starting March 29.

The Delhi franchise boasts of a strong Indian core group with the likes of Shreyas Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma, and Amit Mishra in the side.

"To win the IPL, the performance of your domestic players counts the most. I think Delhi Capitals has the strongest bunch of Indian cricketers this season. We have the right mix of youth and experience," said Sharma.

The 31-year-old was purchased by DC for a base price of Rs 50 lakhs at the auctions in December last year after the Chennai Super Kings released him.

"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," Sharma added.

Hailing from Ballabhgarh in Haryana, Sharma considers the Delhi Capitals' Feroz Shah Kotla 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," he said.

Currently training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to regain his fitness post-surgery, the India pacer is also looking forward to working with Delhi Capitals' head coach Ricky Ponting.

"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 said.

The right-arm bowler burst into the limelight in the 2012-2013 Ranji season, following which he was signed by Chennai Super Kings.

Sharma impressed by taking 20 wickets from 15 matches. The following season he won the Purple Cap for most wickets in the tournament -- 23.

Between 2016-2018, he played for Kings XI Punjab, before being re-picked by CSK in 2019.

Sharma 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.