Mumbai Indians utilized Rohit Sharma primarily as an Impact Player during the IPL 2025 season.
Speaking at an MI event, Jayawardene explained why the former captain was primarily utilized as an Impact Sub last season, a move that had left sections of fans upset.
Jayawardene revealed that Rohit was dealing with injury issues last season, prompting the franchise to manage his workload carefully. The coach also outlined his intent to have the veteran opener on the field more regularly in IPL 2026.
“Rohit, the way we managed him last year, obviously he had a few niggles as well, so you just needed to manage that. And the thing is he’s still making a huge impact on the team, whether he’s on the field or not. But definitely this year I want to keep him on the field as much as I can," Jayawardene said.
The Sri Lanka legend mentioned that with several all-rounders in their ranks, the use of the Impact Player rule will depend heavily on match situations.
"When we’re rotating the bowlers or using the Impact Player – at which point that impact comes in, the timing and all that – if the other players need to be on the field… because if you look at it, most of our guys are all‑rounders and they do bowl as well. So if the captain needs that option on the field, it’s something I have to look at and discuss depending on the opposition we’re playing," he added.
Jayawardene also highlighted the selection conundrum, explaining that the availability of all-rounders often forces tough calls on batting specialists like Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav.
"And because [the Impact Player] is bowling as well, he’s put his hand up and said, ‘I’m available,’ so I can’t take him out. The two guys who are not all‑rounders at the moment are Rohit and Surya, so that leaves me with that decision‑making process. We’ll see how it goes," he remarked.
Mumbai Indians will open their IPL 2026 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.