IPL 2025: Rohit Sharma’s batting form a headache for MI?

IPL 2025:Rohit Sharma last scored 450+ runs in an IPL season back in 2016. How is Rohit’s poor form affecting Mumbai Indians’ chances this year?

Rohit Sharma, the joint-most successful Indian Premier League (IPL) captain alongside MS Dhoni with five titles, is now the elephant in the room for Mumbai Indians (MI). He doesn’t appear to be the same batter who smashed 76 runs off 83 deliveries to secure the Champions Trophy 2025 for India against New Zealand. 

In two of MI’s three IPL 2025 games, Rohit played as an impact player but failed to make the desired impact on the game. His ordinary dismissals have put immense pressure on the middle order. The 37-year-old’s 13-run knock off 12 balls during a low run chase against Kolkata Knight Riders has only added fuel to the fire.

Rohit Sharma’s struggles continue with the bat in IPL 2025
Since celebrating a fine unbeaten century against the Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium last year, Rohit hasn’t found the same rhythm in the IPL. In his last 10 innings in the tournament, the right-handed opener has struggled, managing just 141 runs at an average of 14.10. His best score of 68 came in a dead rubber against the Lucknow Super Giants.

In Mumbai’s opening IPL 2025 game, the Nagpur-born registered a four-ball duck. He defended the first few deliveries before flicking the fourth ball to mid-wicket. A well-timed shot could have sent it to the boundary, but he seemed to close the blade too early.

The same issue continued in the second fixture against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. The veteran struck Mohammed Siraj for successive boundaries to fine leg and mid-on, but the Hyderabad-born pacer made a cracking comeback, breaching Rohit’s defense with a nip-backer.

During the low run chase against KKR, many expected the former MI captain to guide them over the line. However, apart from a six off a free hit against Harshit Rana, he couldn’t contribute much, managing just 13 runs off 12 balls.

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Rohit Sharma’s missing puzzle of 500-run IPL season
It was in IPL 2013 when Rohit last crossed 500 runs in a season. However, in the past few editions, his form has declined significantly. During the 2022 season, he managed just 268 runs without a single fifty, which led the management to hand over the leadership responsibilities to Hardik Pandya in the following edition.

While Virat Kohli continues to contribute with truckloads of runs, Rohit Sharma’s struggles have been surprising. Over the last two seasons (2023 and 2024), the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter has amassed 1,380 runs in just 29 innings. In comparison, Rohit has accumulated 1,398 runs across 57 innings over four seasons from 2021 to 2024.

It’s concerning for any franchise if their premier opener manages just four half-centuries and one century in the last 60 innings. In seasons when Mumbai won the championship, Rohit batted with intent, allowing the middle-order batters to maintain the same flow. However, of late, they have often found themselves in a position where they need to repair the innings.

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Rohit’s failure unlikely to prevent an MI win tonite, but 3 low scores in a row blots his copybook

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) March 31, 2025

Mumbai’s struggle with Rohit Sharma’s failure
On most occasions, Rohit’s poor starts have put pressure on Mumbai’s middle order. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Verma haven’t been able to play their natural attacking game and have instead been forced into damage control.

For any side to succeed, aggressive opening knocks lay the foundation. When RCB reached the 2016 final, Virat Kohli smashed 973 runs at a strike rate of over 150. Even last year, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma provided several successful opening stands, helping Sunrisers Hyderabad reach the final. The Australia opener amassed 567 runs at a strike rate of 191.55, while Abhishek managed 484 runs at 204.21.

For Kolkata, Sunil Narine and Phil Salt brought the explosive starts that played a crucial role in their third title win. Strong openings provide confidence to the middle and lower-order batters. As a senior player with immense success, Rohit Sharma needs to step up.

If he doesn’t produce a match-winning knock in the next two fixtures, the management may start considering other options? Giving a youngster a chance wouldn’t be a bad idea, especially with the future in mind. 

There’s no doubt that Rohit has the skill to dominate in the powerplay. If he can do it for India, there’s no reason he can’t replicate it for Mumbai Indians. The 37-year-old just needs to play with a free mindset. Time is running out, and it won’t be long before the MI management starts losing patience with the veteran.

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