2016 Indian Premier League: Mitchell Johnson raring to go

Mitchell Johnson is excited for the IPL, talks Twitter battles, and his respect for Virat Kohli in his latest column for Fox Sports...

Being a cricketer in India is unlike any other job in the world.

The sheer number of fans here and the passion they have for the game makes the time I spend off the field in India almost as intense as the time I spend on it.

Don't get me wrong - the supporters here are amazing, it's just that on occasions, things have threatened to get a little out of hand.

There was a time last year when I felt a bit concerned about my safety. It wasn't that we were in serious danger - although it felt close - but the sheer number of people involved made the whole experience pretty intimidating.

Live Indian Premier League

After having a quiet meal with a couple of my Kings XI Punjab teammates in a Dharamsala restaurant, people began to notice us, and seemingly within seconds there were people hanging off doors just to get a look at us.

Things soon escalated and before I knew it I had people grabbing onto me, just trying to touch me. I had to whack their arms off me just to get into the car. Then they started shaking the car.

It was a whole new experience and pretty crazy. However, I want to make it clear the people that day had no intention of hurting me - they're just so fanatical and so excited to see cricketers and this is the way they express that fanaticism.

At times like that you've just got to accept this is what life is like as a cricketer in India. There are times when it can all feel like it's a bit much, but you need to understand where the locals are coming from. They hardly ever get to see their heroes up close in the flesh so it's understandable how passionate they are when they see us.

It certainly doesn't detract from the awesome experience that is playing in the IPL, and if anything some of the players - particularly the younger ones who are in awe of the big-name guys - actually enjoy the extra attention.

MY TWITTER BATTLES

One man who definitely thrives on extra scrutiny and pressure is Virat Kohli.

The man is a superstar and he showed why during the World Twenty20, when he almost single-handedly dragged India into the final.

You might have seen that I had a little dig at Virat on Twitter before India's match against Australia. That was just an attempt by me to throw him off his game but given he scored 82 off 51 balls, I don't think it was such a smart move!

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything but that's the beauty of Twitter - anyone's opinion can be broadcast to the world. I didn't expect my comment to get the level of response that it did, and I probably didn't need to reply to the angry responses from Indian fans.

But to be honest that stuff doesn't bother me at all. In the past it would have affected me, but now that I've got a bit more freedom to express my opinion, I can just laugh it off.

I don't mind stirring the pot - I guess I just need to be careful about who I'm having a go at!

VIRAT AND ME

You didn't need to see my tweet to know Virat and I have a bit of a rivalry.

We've had our differences and most of it stems from the 2014 Adelaide Test, when a ball I threw hit Virat on the body. I was legitimately trying to run him out but he didn't like what I did. When he made some comment in the media that night about having no respect for me as a player, that's when I got really annoyed.

Having said that, Virat is the kind of player you'd want in your team. He's a real fighter and to be honest he's a bit like most of us were in the Australian team. We go pretty hard on the field, and he's got that about him as well.

The fact he plays the game like us is probably why we've rubbed each other the wrong way. If I sit back and digest it properly, we're actually quite similar in the way we approach the game.

I can't wait to come up against him again and his Royal Challengers Bangalore team-mates in the IPL.

RETURNING TO CRICKET

Since my final Test match in November last year I haven't played any competitive cricket, save for one grade match in Perth.

The good sign for me is I'm incredibly excited for the IPL to get underway now. That's certainly not how I was feeling this time last year when I was really flat and physically exhausted after a long Australian summer that included a World Cup.

Now I'm genuinely pumped to get back onto the field, and even training with my teammates this week gave me a rush I haven't felt in a while.

A lot of people think the IPL is all about money but I can guarantee you it isn't. I would find it really hard to be motivated if I was just playing for money - you have to actually have your heart in it.

I know I do, and I can't wait to pull on that Kings XI uniform again.

For the full article, click here.