Staying calm and focussed in crunch situations helped him blossom as a captain, said Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma while describing the team's journey towards its maiden Indian Premier League title a "great experience".
"It's been a tough journey. We have fought from day one. Those are great experience personally to lead such a star-studded side," Sharma said at the post-match presser after Mumbai beat Chennai Super Kings by 23 runs here last night.
It was a memorable moment for Sharma winning the IPL title at Eden Gardens, the same venue where he was first appointed skipper after Ricky Ponting had stepped down due to lack of form.
"It was right here in Kolkata when the moment came to me... We came here after losing two games in Jaipur and Delhi," he said.
Sharma said Ponting has had a great influence on his performance and the Aussie World Cup winning skipper made a significant contribution in the dressing room.
"He was guiding the batsmen all the way through. He has been in such a situation for so many times for Australia. He knows what sort of mindset one should have. He never looked back. He was always there watching the game, reading the game from the dug out.
"Personally, it was to take out his thoughts. It was important for me to go and talk to him. He was keeping a close eye on our approach. He was always there for us," he said.
Careful planning and playing to a situation have been Sharma's route to success as the 26-year-old showed amazing maturity as a captain.
"I would like to keep it very simple. I don't want to complicate things too much. The simpler, the easier it is. That's been my strength. You always seek advice in a tough situation from the seniors and people around you. It's about staying calm and focused.
