Former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma, who has led the franchise to five IPL titles, is set to return to competitive cricket when the new Indian Premier League season begins on March 28. Former India spinner and ex-Mumbai Indians player Harbhajan Singh advised current skipper Hardik Pandya that Rohit should remain active on the field rather than being used only as an Impact Player.
What is the Impact Player Rule in IPL?
The impact player rule was introduced in IPL 2023, which allows teams to replace one member of the playing XI with one of five substitutes at any stage of the match. This substitute can bat and bowl their full quota of overs, giving teams more flexibility with their strategies and allowing them to strengthen either their batting or bowling based on the situation.
Harbhajan Singh's advice to Hardik Pandya
Speaking on JioStar, Harbhajan Singh urged Rohit Sharma to stay involved on the field.
"Rohit Sharma has been used as the 12th man who just bats, but I feel that the kind of leader he has been, a player like him should be on the field" said Harbhajan Singh.
Harbhajan Singh explains how Rohit's presence can help Hardik
Rohit, 38, played many of his matches last season as an Impact Player, during which Mumbai Indians finished fourth in the points table. Harbhajan also believes current MI captain Hardik Pandya could benefit from Rohit’s experience when important decisions need to be made.
"In tough matches, when you need to take certain calls, when a captain sometimes needs a shoulder to lean on, Rohit Sharma can do that for Hardik Pandya," said Harbhajan.
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Rohit Sharma's performance in IPL 2025
In the previous IPL season, Rohit scored 418 runs in 15 matches for the Mumbai Indians at an average of 29.86 and a strike rate of 149.29, with a highest score of 81.
Despite a slow start to the tournament, he finished strongly with four scores of 50 or more and also crossed the milestone of 7,000 career IPL runs during the eliminator against the Gujarat Titans.
MI's IPL 2026 schedule
Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) will start their IPL 2026 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
| Match | Date | Time (IST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI vs KKR | March 29 | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium |
| DC vs MI | April 4 | 3:30 PM | Arun Jaitley Stadium |
| RR vs MI | April 7 | 7:30 PM | Barsapara Cricket Stadium |
| MI vs RCB | April 12 | 7:30 PM | Wankhede Stadium |
Mumbai Indians squad for IPL 2026
Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickleton, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghafanzar, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande, Shardul Thakur, Quinton de Kock, Mohammad Izhar, Danish Malewar, Atharva Ankolekar, Mayank Rawat.