2017 is a very special year for every Mumbai Indians fan. That final with all the drama, the twists, the madness, is something the Paltan still can’t have enough of. Karn Sharma was right in the thick of it all. From winning the Player of the Match in the Eliminator against the Kolkata Knight Riders, to changing his plans big time and bowling the stingiest of spells in the Final to strangle the Rising Pune Supergiant, to now coming back into the Blue and Gold after eight years. Before we watch him set the stage on fire once again, here he is, speaking exclusively to mumbaiindians.com. Excerpts ..

We have to start with the 2017 IPL Final. Mumbai Indians were defending just 129. Your spell in the middle-overs where you conceded just 18 runs was one of the turning points on that night. Take us through that evening and the season on the whole.

I really enjoyed that season and have very fond memories of that year. The talk was very simple before we came on to bowl in the Final: to take wickets. We didn’t get as many wickets but we got the required run-rate high. In the powerplay, we got just one wicket but we kept them to a very low score. After that, Krunal (Pandya) and I bowled very well in the middle overs.

For me, as a leg-spinner, I always try to get the batter out. In T20s, you can’t bowl dot balls and get away. You have to take wickets. On that day I wasn’t getting wickets, but my aim was to not give boundaries or free runs to batters. I was just looking at bowling dot ball after dot ball and building pressure on them.

2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, I was a part of four consecutive finals. My mantra is very simple: just focus on what the team requires at that moment and what you can do for your team in that situation. In the 2017 Final, the situation demanded me to not give away easy runs so that the bowler at the other end could get wickets. Even in the Eliminator against KKR, (Jasprit) Bumrah bowled really well upfront. And then I came on and got two more wickets. We got that momentum and I got that confidence into the game.

You’ve been one of the trendsetters of modern-day leg-spin. Leg-spinners, when you were starting out, were meant to toss the ball up and beat the batter in the flight. But you were always quick through the air, something that most leg-spinners today are. How did that come about?

From the beginning itself, I was never a Mishy bhai (Amit Mishra). I never had that flight in the air. I was always quick through the air and quick off the wicket. In the middle I even tried to change my bowling by slowing it up, but it just didn’t work. It wasn’t my cup of tea. So I just thought, ‘I’ll just continue and do what I’m good at’. You need to vary your pace as per the wicket and the batter. You need to be brave from your heart. Chakka lagega toh bhi (Even if I get hit for a six), I have to get this wicket.

You’re all set to join forces with Allah Ghazanfar at MI. He’s coming in as this mystery spinner who’s making waves around the world at the moment. What have you made of him?

I have seen him bowl in the series against Bangladesh and he was very quick off the wickets. He has a lot of variations too. We will complement each other and gel very well to do wonders this season.

Both Hardik Pandya and Bumrah were up and coming players in 2017. Were the signs of them becoming modern-day legends of the game evident back then itself?

In fact in that 2017 season as well, they were doing really well. Their performances resulted in us winning the season that year. Especially in the powerplay, Bumrah with Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson formed a deadly combination. Hardik, that year, was very destructive with the bat. The way those two were playing, it was very clear that they would be superstars in the future and among the top-ranking players in the world.

Let’s look to the 2025 season now. You’re back in the MI fold after eight years. What have you missed the most? What are you personally looking forward to achieving this year?

I’ve made goals for myself earlier as well, but when they don’t work out, you end up putting a lot of pressure on yourself. So my basic funda is to keep working hard and believing in yourself. It’s a long season in the IPL. Even if I don’t play in the first game, I just need to be ready. Whether it is to bowl in the powerplay or to bowl in the middle-overs, I am fine with that. I have been playing for the last 13-14 years, so I am pretty confident I will do well in whatever situation the coach or the captain would need me in.

I’ve played 80-84 games but what most people remember is those three sixes I hit against Mitchell Starc  last year (laughs). My personal goals are secondary. My main motive is to make my team win, whether I play or now. It’s okay even if I don’t do well as long as the team wins. I want to win the cup for the team, that’s my first priority, not any personal goals.

I have played so much with Rohit bhai and Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), so I am sure it will be great this year. I just want to continue from where I left off in 2017. It’s been 4-5 years since I’ve won a title, so really looking forward to this year.