Former Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma has failed to live up to the expectations with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
Rohit played the first three games for MI, scoring 13, 8 and 0 against CSK, GT and KKR respectively before missing the franchise's encounter against LSG.
After missing the game, Rohit featured in the 20th match of the IPL 2025 as an impact player. He came out to the field in the 15th over of RCB’s innings. While opening the innings, he was able to score just 17 runs in nine balls before being knocked over by left-arm quick Yash Dayal.
After the game, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene refused to mince words when asked about the team’s concerns at the top of the batting order and Rohit’s dismissal.
"The powerplay is a concern for us with the ball and the bat. In the last few games as well, we were leaking too many runs with the ball in the powerplay as well. We got an early wicket today as well - first over - but then they counter-punched, played some good shots, and we just did not react well to that. These are the margins and then they had a big sixth over, which really hurt us in that powerplay," Jayawardene said in the post-match presser.
Rohit has struggled a lot against left-arm pacers in the IPL since 2024. As for numbers, the veteran opener has been dismissed seven times out of the 17 innings against left-arm seamers.
When asked about concern around Rohit's dismissal and the lack of runs, Jayawardene chose to credit Dayal more for the delivery he bowled.
"Obviously for right-handed batsman left armers, it is a natural thing for a lot of opening batsman and a lot of the right-handed batsman. It's been there for many years, I can remember many teams doing the same thing, so it's just a natural angle and then creating that space. But yeah, I'm sure Rohit's been working on it, he's been practicing hard and he's a very experienced player," the Sri Lankan legend said.
"I'm sure that's not the thing, he was trying to give us a good start and he played some really good shots. Yash bowled a good ball, it was late swing and fuller got through Rohit's defence. So I think when you have played the game for that long, I think you need to sometimes keep to the bowlers as well. I wouldn't read into that too much, but yeah, I mean it's something that I'm sure that he will work hard on it," he further remarked.
With one victory in five matches, Mumbai Indians are currently languishing at the eighth spot in the 10-team points table. The five-time champions will next face Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 13.
