Rohit Sharma who suffered a calf injury earlier this year revealed that it had been the longest gap in his cricketing career without holding a bat.

The Indian vice-captain has been out of action since the final T20I at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand on 2nd February 2020. He ended up missing out on the ODI and Test series as well.

The Mumbai Indians skipper is all set to get back in action as his team begins their title defence from the 19th of September in the United Arab Emirates.

Ahead of the IPL, Rohit spoke about his comeback, conditions in UAE and how he deals with the youngsters in detail, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo.

Longest gap I have ever had in my career without holding a bat

Rohit, who had a spectacular 2019 continued to replicate the same in 2020 as he scored a ton against Australia in the final ODI earlier this year. He followed it up with consecutive fifties during the T20I series against New Zealand. However, an injury meant that he was forced to sit out for the remainder of the New Zealand tour.

"It's the longest gap that I have ever had in my career without holding a bat. It will be a bit challenging. Unless I play, I will not know where I am and how I feel but the body is completely fine. I feel physically stronger than ever because of the last four months."

Playing in 40 degrees can be a bit of a challenge

With the IPL scheduled to take place in UAE, Rohit stated that it was going to be challenging to play under rising temperatures. However, at the same time, he mentioned that there was ample time for preparations with the tournament more than a month away.

"We have a lot of time in our hands. I will be taking it slow. Luckily, I don't think there is any rush that I need to show. We have enough time. I will work on getting back to the ground slowly because the temperature in Dubai is 40 degrees. It's not easy."

Rohit asserted that while there wasn't much difference in the pitches, playing in 40 degrees is always going to be a challenge. With the conditions expected to vary, he was aware that they would be able to fix the playing combination only once the team reached UAE.

"Your planning changes a lot. Pitches in Dubai are a bit on the slower side. The pitches are not so different from India but yes the overhead conditions will be a big factor as you are not always used to playing in 40 degrees, which can be a bit of a challenge. As much as we sit and plan things here, it could completely change once we are there and check out the conditions and then think about ideal combinations."

You need to give confidence to the younger players

A lot of youngsters have managed to grow under his tutelage. The Mumbai Indians captain felt that it was important to bolster the confidence of the youngsters in the team and give them the freedom to express themselves.

"You need to give confidence to the younger players, some of them haven't played the IPL before, don't have international exposure. I need to make sure they are in the best zone, not pressurised by the moment and get those little performances from everyone."