Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has explained the cause of Rohit Sharma’s limited on-field participation in IPL 2025, assuring that the marquee batter has been carrying a minor injury since the Champions Trophy and is being employed tactically as an impact substitute.
Strategic Use of Rohit as Impact Sub
Throughout the season, Rohit Sharma has featured primarily as a batter, often coming in only for the final overs during Mumbai Indians’ fielding innings. While this raised questions among fans, Jayawardene addressed the matter during a pre-match press conference ahead of MI’s clash with Gujarat Titans.
No, it was not in the beginning. Of course, Rohit was in the field for some of the matches,” Jayawardene told. “But if you observe the makeup of the team, most of the guys are playing two roles. Most of them are bowling. While that is going on, some of the grounds require boundary runners.
He also went on to say, “You need players with pace and all that. So that too comes into the equation. And Rohit was also carrying a niggle from the Champions Trophy. So we wanted to ensure that we don’t give too much of a workload to him. And we have managed to do that while batting is the most crucial thing.”
Still Actively Involved Despite Limited Fielding
Jayawardene highlighted that Rohit is still a part of the team’s strategy and leadership, even if he did not field for most of the innings. “He’s contributed immensely whether he’s in the field or not. If you’ve observed, he’s always browning the dugout or he gets in during timeouts. And a lot of communication is going on. So very much involved,” Jayawardene said.
The MI coach pointed out that the rotation policy of the team and match-ups usually involve making difficult decisions. “It’s just overall planning for us to ensure that we have all the bowling options that we need on the field. And we have a lot of senior heads as well. Most likely to be removed would be either a Surya or a Tilak or someone like that, a domestic batter.”. So it’s a tough decision for me. But it’s a good headache to have.”
Rohit Back in Form, MI on Winning Streak
Although the season started slowly for him, Rohit has got his batting in order. In 10 games, he has made 293 runs, three of which have been fifties, and has been an important factor in Mumbai Indians’ recent turnaround. Specifically, he has made half-centuries in three of the last four encounters.
Mumbai Indians are currently third in the IPL 2025 standings with 14 points from 11 games. A victory over Gujarat Titans would take them to the top. The team is also on a six-match winning streak, and Rohit’s return to form with the bat has been a major reason behind their success.
