Mumbai Indians, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, have finally registered their first win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The team secured a dominant eight-wicket victory over reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by successfully chasing down a modest target of 117 with 43 balls to spare. Despite the comprehensive win at Wankhede Stadium, Rohit Sharma’s struggles with the bat continued, raising concerns over his form.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has expressed doubts about Rohit’s current approach, pointing out that the veteran opener has failed to deliver with the bat in IPL 2025. With scores of 0, 8, and 13 in three matches, Rohit has managed just 21 runs so far. Vaughan emphasized that Rohit has only crossed the 400-run mark once in the last five IPL seasons, questioning whether his reputation is keeping him in the playing XI.
“You look at his numbers, you’ve got to remember, we’re judging Rohit just as a batter now because he’s not the captain. Now, I think you can get away with average numbers, and they’re average numbers. If your name’s not Rohit Sharma, you’re probably losing your place in the side at some stage with those numbers. They’re not good enough for a player like Rohit Sharma,” Vaughan told Cricbuzz.
Rohit was utilized as an impact substitute in the match against KKR, taking the field in the 16th over during their innings. Vaughan highlighted the stark difference in judging Rohit as just a batter rather than a captain, stating, “But if he’s the captain as well, and he’s adding his knowledge of being a leader, the culture creator that he is, tactician that he is, and I see it on a regular basis with India, and I’ve seen it with Mumbai in the past, I cannot cope with those numbers. But when you’re just the batter now, that’s how we have to judge Rohit Sharma because he isn’t the captain. He needs runs.”
Although Vaughan was critical of Rohit’s performance, he acknowledged the star batter’s X-factor, making it clear that he would not drop him from the team yet. However, he stressed that Rohit must rediscover his form soon to justify his place in the Mumbai Indians’ lineup.
Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
