Ravi Shastri Expects More from Rohit Sharma, Sets High Standards for MI Batter; Ian Bishop Calls for Improvement
15 days ago | 5 Views
Rohit Sharma's struggles in IPL 2025 show no signs of improvement. The opening batsman for the Mumbai Indians had a disappointing performance against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Wankhede Stadium, managing only 17 runs off nine balls before returning to the pavilion. In light of his lackluster performance in this 18th edition of the prestigious T20 tournament, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has set a formidable challenge for the ex-captain of the Mumbai Indians.
From the outset against RCB, Rohit displayed aggression, hitting a six in the first over bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He followed this with consecutive fours in the next over from Yash Dayal. However, the left-arm pacer ultimately triumphed by bowling out the Indian Test and ODI captain.
After Rohit's dismissal, Ravi Shastri and former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop analyzed the declining performance of the Mumbai Indians' icon, who has led the team to five IPL championships.
“Ian Bishop remarked during the commentary of the Mumbai Indians vs RCB match, ‘They need more from Rohit Sharma, not just small contributions of 12-15 runs at the beginning.’”
Conversely, Ravi Shastri emphasized, “Consistency is key. Teams that advance far in the tournament typically have a strong top order. We need Rohit Sharma to achieve a 400-run season, converting those 15s and 20s into scores of 40s and 60s.”
So far in the current 18th edition of the IPL, Rohit Sharma has played four matches, accumulating a total of 38 runs with scores of 0, 8, 13, and 17. In the past five IPL seasons, he has surpassed the 400-run mark only once, which occurred last year.
Mahela Jayawardene backs Rohit Sharma
On the eve of the match against RCB, Mumbai Indians' head coach Mahela Jayawardene expressed his confidence in Rohit Sharma, emphasizing his status as a top-tier player.
"It seems a bit unjust to evaluate someone's performance after every two innings. My recollection of his last performance is the innings that led us to win the Champions Trophy. Therefore, we must support our experienced players and trust them to step up," Jayawardene stated during the pre-match press conference.
"As a franchise, we have consistently relied on our core group to perform, and we will continue to do so. It was unfortunate that he sustained an injury during practice, but we hope he will be fully fit, and we will maintain our support for the players to achieve the desired results," he added.
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