Published: Nov 24, 2017, 11:35 AM (IST)
Edited: Nov 24, 2017, 11:35 AM (IST)
Siddesh Lad has been one of Mumbai’s most dependable batsmen in recent times. Lad, who played through pain in Mumbai’s 500th Ranji Trophy game last week was the side’s only shining armour against Baroda. The 25-year-old has showed great grit and tremendous determination so far. In an exclusive interview to Times of India, Lad opened up about his relation with Mumbai teammate Rohit Sharma and his future with the state side. Lad’s father Dinesh is Rohit’s childhood coach and the two cricketers share a great equation.
Speaking about Rohit, he said: “I always seek Rohit’s advice when I need it. There are times when he comes up with some suggestions, which he feels can help my game.”
Lad, in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2017-18 season averages 41 from six games.
On his current season:
“I’ve been putting in those extra hours in the nets and working on specific skills. During our preparatory camp I placed a lot of importance on my fitness and trained hard with Prateek Kadam (Mumbai Ranji team trainer), who did a great job in getting me ready physically for the Ranji season. Credit also goes to my entire family and friends for always being with me.”
On being the crisis man for Mumbai:
“The tag of ‘Crisis Man’ comes with a lot of responsibility and I feel good and responsible at the same time to meet people’s expectations. You really need to be mentally tough to get your team out of crunch situations regularly, but, I have always played cricket the hard way, and the ‘khadoos’ attitude and passion for the game keeps me going.”
