There were high hopes for Rohit Sharma when he came back to the Mumbai Indians after missing a game due to an injury. Unfortunately, he didn’t do well, scoring only 17 runs off 9 balls before getting out to Yash Dayal from Royal Challengers Bengaluru. When the media asked coach Mahela Jayawardene about the issues with the team’s batting order and Rohit’s early dismissal, he didn’t hold back.
Jayawardene admitted that the team is really struggling during the powerplays for both batting and bowling. “The powerplay is a concern for us. We leaked too many runs with the ball in the last few matches. We got an early wicket today in the first over, but then they came back strong and played some good shots, and we didn’t respond well. Those moments matter, and that big sixth over hurt us,” he said in the press conference.
Since IPL 2024, Rohit has had a tough time facing left-arm pacers, getting out most often to them during this period. In fact, he has been dismissed seven times in 17 innings against left-arm seamers. When asked about Rohit’s struggles and low score, Jayawardene gave props to Dayal for his delivery.
“It’s typical for right-handed batsmen to have trouble with left-arm bowlers. This has been happening for years. But I’m sure Rohit is working on it; he’s a dedicated player,” Jayawardene said. “He was trying to give us a good start and hit some nice shots. Yash bowled well with late swing and got through Rohit’s defense. After playing for so long, sometimes you just have to give credit to the bowlers. I wouldn’t worry too much about it, but I know Rohit will work on this.”