The story of fame, glory, disappointment, adrift and comeback.

It’s not how far you fall but how high you bounce back that counts. An athlete's life is not just associated with games; it's much more than that. Struggle, hard work, pain, rejection, and criticism are some common words that are associated with the life of a sportsman.

Half a decade ago, Mohit Sharma was a very common name in Indian cricket. In a very short period of time, the man from Haryana rose to fame. In 2013, he debuted for CSK, and in no time, he impressed everyone with his ability to swing and chipped in with early wickets in the powerplay. In his first year on the big stage, Sharma finished with 20 wickets.

The following year was Mohit's breakthrough year. As he took 23 wickets and became the purple cap holder. He did not just showcase his powerplay bowling skills; he also became quite handy at the death because of his slower ball variations.

This brilliant performance helped him earn his maiden call-up to the national team. In his debut game, he was adjudged man of the match. He became the only Indian bowler to bowl four consecutive maidens in his debut game.

With every passing day, fate was rewarding him with new opportunities. He was selected in the squad for the 2014 T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and the next year for the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia. In Australia, he took 13 wickets and was fiercely supporting as the third bowler.
Everything was turning into gold for Sharma, and the next year he was bought by the Punjab Kings for a whopping amount of 6.5 crore.

But as they say, nothing is permanent. Soon, things started to change for the man from Ballabhgarh. His form started to decline during his three-year stint with the Punjab franchise. He had an average performance. 

Due to this, he was also dropped from the national team. He was not able to pick up wickets, nor was he economical. Again in 2019, he was bought by CSK, and many would have thought they would get to see the old MS Dhoni and Mohit duo performing together, but sadly no.

He hardly played any games that year. Everything was going south for him. Next year, he was bought by the Delhi franchise, where, during his two years, he only got featured twice. After that, he was not bought by any team in the IPL.

This was the darkest period of Mohit’s life. No national, no IPL contract, hardly any chance in the domestic arena, fitness and hair fall issues, and whatnot. Once the go-to bowler of MSD had completely changed, he was completely lost on the domestic circuit, and many thought his career was also finished.

"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying." This quote justifies Sharma's passion for this game. After all, this is when players usually decide to quit, Sharma did not give up but again worked hard and started working again on his basics and fitness. Played in local matches to find his rhythm. After being lost for more than two years, life again gave Mohit a chance, but this time it was different.

He was called up as a net bowler for the Gujarat Titans. Many would have rejected this chance because of his career stature. The whole social media was flooded with trolls complaining about how life is unfair—once a purple cap holder, now a net bowler. But he accepted it as a break to impress coaches. And finally, the big moment came: the auction of the IPL 2023, where he was bought by the GT franchise.

And then came the big break for him when he was given a chance against the Punjab team, and he welcomed the opportunity with both hands. He took two wickets in his comeback game and bowled exceptionally well in the death overs.

In a game against LSG, he was given the last over to defend 12 runs, and he bowled splendidly with yorkers and slower balls and defended the total by conceding a mere four runs. He also took two crucial wickets, including the wicket of KL Rahul, who was batting on 68.

He showed the world why GT management trusted him. Mohit was adjudged man of the match on both occasions. On being asked about his journey from being a national player to a net bowler, he replied, it’s not a bad thing; you should always welcome any opening that comes your way. I learned a lot while being a net bowler, and finally, everything is paying off well.

The journey of Mohit Sharma is a perfect example of how life is: for a moment, you are at the top, and next, you are at the bottom. It’s not how many times you fall that matters; it’s how many times you get up.