Rohit Sharma, a key player for the Mumbai Indians, was back in action after sitting out the last IPL game due to an injury. Fans were hopeful he’d shake off his slump, but he ended up scoring only 17 runs off 9 balls before getting out to Yash Dayal, a bowler from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. After the match, coach Mahela Jayawardene didn’t hold back when discussing the issues the team is facing, especially at the top of the order.
Jayawardene acknowledged that the batting and bowling during the powerplay have been pretty rough lately. He pointed out, The powerplay is a major issue for us, both with the bat and the ball. In recent matches, we’ve been giving away too many runs during those early overs. We managed to get an early wicket today, but then they bounced back with some good shots, and we didn’t respond well to that. It’s all about those small margins, and that sixth over really hit us hard.
As for Rohit’s performance against left-arm pacers, he hasn’t had much luck. Statistically speaking, since IPL 2024, he’s been dismissed quite a few times—seven times in 17 innings—by left-handed seamers, which seems pretty troubling.
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When asked about Rohit’s struggles and the overall lack of runs, Jayawardene gave some credit to Dayal for the delivery that took Rohit’s wicket. He explained, For many right-handed batsmen, left-arm bowlers can be tricky. This has been a common theme for many years and a lot of teams tend to go for that angle to create some space. I’m sure Rohit’s putting in the effort; he’s been practicing hard. He’s an experienced player.
Jayawardene continued, The thing with Rohit is he was aiming to give us a strong start and actually made some good shots. Yash bowled well, his delivery had late swing and was fuller, which got through Rohit’s defense. After playing this game for so long, a player needs to be mindful of bowlers too. I wouldn’t overthink it too much; I believe Rohit will work through this and get back on track.
In the end, while it seems like Rohit has faced some tough days, Jayawardene is positive that with a little more effort and focus, things could turn around.
