Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma’s struggles against left-arm pace in the T20 powerplay persisted in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday.
Facing the packed stands of Wankhede Stadium, Rohit’s innings ended in disappointment when he attempted an aerial shot off Madhya Pradesh’s left-arm pacer Arshad Khan. Lacking the desired connection, his shot went straight to Prasidh Krishna, and Rohit walked back to the pavilion with a score of 7 runs from 8 balls.
Rohit’s Performance and MI’s Struggle in IPL 2023-2025
Since 2023, Rohit Sharma’s trend of dismissals has continued, with 12 losses in 35 innings. In those 35 innings, he faced 182 deliveries, scoring 268 runs at a strike rate of 147.25. His average, however, has dropped to 7.65 after losing his wicket.
Throughout IPL 2023 and 2024, Rohit has delivered performances in patches. In 11 matches, he accumulated 300 runs at an average of 30.00, with a striking rate of 152.28 and three half-centuries.
In a recent match, after Rohit’s dismissal, Mumbai Indians (MI) attempted a comeback against Gujarat, but the latter took control. Suryakumar Yadav and Jacks put up a strong partnership, adding 50 runs in just 26 balls. MI ended their powerplay with 56/2, and after 10 overs, they were 89/2.
IPL, Jacks, who survived multiple dropped catches, reached his fifty in the 11th over, requiring just 29 balls to do so. However, he was dismissed for 53(35) by Rashid Khan in the 12th over, and Suryakumar followed soon after, dismissed for 35(24) by Sai Kishore.
MI’s downfall continued as Hardik Pandya, the MI skipper, fell for just 1, and Varma was removed by Gerald Coetzee for 7(7). IPL Corbin Bosch’s fiery knock of 27(22) helped MI reach 155/8 by the end of the innings, succumbing to Gujarat’s dominant bowling.