Rohit Sharma's struggles with the bat is evident in the recent IPL seasons. He was also replaced by Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians' captain ahead of the IPL 2024 season. While Rohit started the current season strong with a century against Chennai, his performance has since dipped. In the last seven innings, he's managed a meagre 88 runs at a low strike rate, sparking criticism from experts and fan worry ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, former India's star spinner has come to Rohit's rescue and has backed him for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Rohit's poor form continued in MI's recent clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). While teammate Ishan Kishan went after the bowling early, Rohit found it difficult to score freely. He managed just 19 runs in 24 balls, appearing particularly troubled by spinners Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. His dismissal for 19 contributed to Mumbai's 18-run loss.
Former India's explosive batter Virender Sehwag was quick to criticise Rohit Sharma's batting strategy against KKR.
“Whoever bowls good, just play him out. If two wickets hadn't fallen, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav could've finished the match an over before. Vaibhav Arora, Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell and Harshit Rana had to ball anyway; if they played out the spinners and didn't lose the wickets, they would've won the game,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
Sharing the concern of many fans, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed his worry about Rohit Sharma's form leading up to the T20 World Cup in just three weeks.
“Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma’s form is a big worry for Mumbai and Indians. You hope that they come back to form quickly,” Irfan wrote on X.
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Despite the wave of criticism, Pragyan Ojha, who shared the Deccan Chargers dressing room with Rohit Sharma during their IPL days, stood by his former teammate. Ojha expressed confidence in Rohit's ability to regain his form and perform well in the T20 World Cup.
“Cheete Ki Chaal, Baaz Ki Nazar, Aur #rohirat Ke batsmanship Par Sandeh Nahi Karte….! #T20WorldCup24 #TeamIndia #twopillars (The gait of a cheetah, the vision of a hawk, and the batting skills of Rohit & Virat are never doubted),” he posted.
While eliminated from the playoffs, MI will offer Rohit Sharma one last chance to rediscover his form before the T20 World Cup. Their final IPL 2024 match is a home game against Lucknow Super Giants on May 17.
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