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"Daryl Mitchell is not into murder mysteries. Being an international cricketer and the son of a former All Blacks coach, watching sports documentaries is what he prefers instead. But he's still willing to sit through the whodunit shows that frequently stream on his home telly. \"My wife's more into the sort of crime and murder mysteries, which I sit there and put up with,\" he says, before adding with a grin: \"I end up falling asleep sometimes, though.\" In many ways, this light-hearted moment captures the essence of Daryl Mitchell. Ever open to banter and always willing to adapt, whether it's navigating life at home or tackling challenges on the cricket field. Adaptability, in fact, is more than just a trait for him; it's something that he has honed over time through his upbringing, personal experiences, and problem-solving on the cricket field. \"I think of adaptability as a skill of mine, and it's something I pride myself on,\" he says. \"It's like how Tom Latham has a lovely sweep shot and Kane Williamson has a lovely backfoot punch. It's a skill that you learn over time.\" While Mitchell's cricketing journey so far has been defined by his ability to make timely adjustments in both role and technique, his upbringing played a significant part in shaping his capacity to navigate changing circumstances with ease. Born in Hamilton, Mitchell moved frequently due to his father's rugby coaching career. He lived in England until the age of five, returned to Hamilton for most of his schooling, then spent his final three years of high school in Perth before returning to New Zealand for higher education. \"That was the nature of dad's job. The reason why my sister and I are pretty tight now is that we moved every four years,\" he recollects. \"Obviously, it meant having to make a new group of friends every few years. I used to walk into a new school and a new sports team, and suddenly those 10-15 guys, whoever was there, became your best mates. \"It probably helps actually get used to staying in hotels a lot of the time and spending long periods of time away from home but I wouldn't change my upbringing for anything else. I think I was very lucky to have some of the experiences I had as a kid growing up to go to different countries and see how they play cricket and how they go about their business.\" The need to adapt emerged early in Mitchell's international career. As a 27-year-old making his debut, time was at a premium and something had to give way quickly. \"I was naive early on in my career and thought I could play pace and spin the same way. I had the same stance, I had the same setup,\" he remembers. \"It wasn't until I watched top players on the world stage, observing how they adjusted their setups against spin, that I realized I needed to adapt. From there, it became about incorporating those lessons into my game and finding a way to assert myself. You're always working on those little details.\" Mitchell began to adjust his setup and crouch lower while facing spin, but at 6'3\", his height posed a stiff challenge. \"I'm tall. And playing on bouncy pitches while growing up, I've got a high back lift against pace and using that, I guess, is one of my strengths. But as a tall guy, I probably got stuck at times early on in my career, so through a little preliminary movement and just the ability to be lighter on the feet allowed me to move back and forward against spin, and that made me not get stuck. And then, obviously, the introduction of using sweeps and reverse sweeps, with my size and being able to access different lengths because of that. \"There are multiple things, I guess, you add to your game. I wanted to keep my strengths as my core things and then kept tinkering and adding little aspects on the side to help make the game easier,\" Mitchell added, acknowledging that his game against spin, especially in Test cricket in subcontinental conditions, remains a work in progress. AK0jWQdJ9jq Now 33, the allrounder's adaptability has extended beyond just technique. His ability to embrace new roles was perhaps most evident during the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, when he was unexpectedly asked to open the batting for New Zealand. Despite never having played that role in T20s, he batted his team into the tournament final. \"I guess because it took me so long to play for New Zealand, in many ways, it made me grateful for any opportunity I get to play for people in the country,\" Mitchell says. \"That opportunity was a chance to open for my country in a World Cup, which, to me, was exciting. It's why you play the game, to play in big moments like that and try and help your country. So I wouldn't say I think about it too much in terms of making it bigger than what it is. I'm just really grateful for every opportunity that I get, whether it's opening the batting or being the finisher at number five or six. I just want to adapt and help us win games of cricket.\" This ability to adapt and thrive in various environments has profoundly shaped his perspective on life and cricket. As he matured, it has not only been crucial for handling new challenges on the field but also for balancing his personal and professional life. Fatherhood, in particular, offered him a fresh perspective. \"Being a dad helped me realize how I want to be seen on and off the field, and that's probably a big aspect of why the success has come in the last few years,\" he says. \"I think I am, as you can probably tell, quite a driven and competitive guy on the field, and that helps me be adaptable in many ways. But I think early on, pre-kids and pre-being married, I was sort of consumed in the game. I tried so hard to achieve the dreams that I wanted to achieve. But once I got married and had two little girls, I guess it didn't matter whether I got a duck or a hundred, I'd still come home and they would still smile at me and give me a hug. \"I think that, for me, was a really cool thing and put the game into perspective. I was like, 'Okay, I'm going to work hard, as hard as I can when I'm training and preparing and when I'm on the field, but at the same time, I will enjoy being a dad and all the little things in life that this wonderful opportunity brings'.\" While Mitchell might not be into murder mysteries, his life has been full of twists and turns that could rival a whodunit plot. From adapting to new career challenges to missing his daughter's birthday present because of the IPL auction, only to make up for it with a 2.7 million NZD paycheck, he's proven that adaptability might just be his superpower. With two lively daughters aged four and six keeping him on his toes, Mitchell knows that the best way to tackle life's curveballs is perhaps with a smile and a readiness for the unexpected. Whether he's navigating the cricket field or the toy store, he looks to handle every twist with the same ease he brings to the game. \"I now know that if you do the work, if you keep showing up each day and try to contribute to the team, not just your own individual success, then you're going to go a long way in winning games of cricket. And then that helps you get a position and be selected for your country. It sort of - how should I put it? - flows off. \"It's about putting things in perspective and controlling the stuff you can control, and that comes with age and experience in the game that you want to do. You obviously want to succeed, you want to score hundreds every time, but it's understanding that if I can control the areas that I can control, whether that's been my preparation before the game, how I recover after games, or how I go about the middle, adapting to different situations with my partner down the other end, then that's the stuff that I can control. And I'll judge myself on that. And hopefully, it means I'm going to have more good days than bad.\""
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