Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene on Saturday (May 23) clarified that Rohit Sharma is 100% fit and his recent deployment as an 'Impact Player' is entirely due to tactical team combinations.
Jayawardene confirmed that Rohit has received fitness clearance from the MI medical team. While the franchise management initially exercised caution upon his return from a hamstring injury, the veteran opener is no longer restricted by medical concerns.
The coach also stated that Rohit's role as an Impact Player was occasionally utilized even before his injury, and the former MI skipper fully understands the tactical framework behind the move.
This update serves as a massive relief for India's upcoming international assignment, effectively addressing the 'subject to fitness' condition attached to Rohit’s selection for the ODI series against Afghanistan next month.
"I think even before he got injured as well, we used him (Rohit) in a couple of games. We feel that (in) a few games he was impacted (used as an Impact Player), like I explained. It is purely on the team combination and the people that we want on the field have to be on the field. To be honest, I don't think about the Indian team or what their requirement when I am assembling a team for Mumbai Indians. I set it up and Rohit understands that he is a team player.
“He understands what is required for Mumbai Indians and we go about it. Yes, he had a hamstring injury. We gave him the time that he needed to recover from that and then he came back. (In the) the first game also, we were cautious even with his batting, the way he was running because he had to adapt to it slowly, gradually coming back into it. But for me, the medical team, everything is 100%. We are not putting him on the field because of what we have done in the past as well," Jayawardene told reporters on the eve of MI’s last league stage match against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium.
"It is just a team combination and it has nothing to do with it. I hope that it doesn't impact whatever the conversations or whatever is happening outside this bubble," he added.
Rohit Sharma missed five IPL 2026 matches for Mumbai Indians due to a hamstring injury. He has batted in eight innings so far, scoring 283 runs at an average of 40.42 and a strike rate of 160.70.
