Rohit Sharma endured another poor outing during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring only 19 off 24 balls.
Mumbai Indians endured yet another disappointing defeat against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2024, as their poor form continues. In a rain-curtailed 16-over match, MI failed to chase down a 158-run target, as they were restricted to 139/8 despite a blistering start to the innings. While Ishan Kishan scored a fiery 40 off just 22 balls, star batters Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav failed to make a mark.
Rohit Sharma reacts as he walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Kolkata Knight Riders (AFP)
Rohit struggled throughout his innings and ended with a strike rate of less than 100, scoring only 19 off 24 deliveries; he was dismissed by Varun Chakravarthy in the eighth over of the chase. Suryakumar followed suit shortly after, scoring at less than a hundred, too; he registered 11 off 14 balls, leaving MI in a tricky position in the chase. It didn’t help the side that captain Hardik Pandya’s poor form continued as he scored only 2, with MI failing to stitch a significant stand throughout the rest of their innings.
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Former India opener Virender Sehwag wasn’t too pleased with the way Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav gave their wickets away in the game. Rohit, in particular, was dismissed after playing an aggressive shot against Chakravarthy, and Sehwag believes the batter needed to give more respect to the ball and keep his ego out of the field.
“Whoever bowls good, just play him out. If two wickets hadn’t fallen, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav could’ve finished the match an over before. Vaibhav Arora, Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell and Harshit Rana had to ball anyway; if they played out the spinners and didn’t lose the wickets, they would’ve won the game,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
“You can’t have an ego when you come out to bat. You play them out or punish the loose deliveries. Naman Dhir came right at the end and smashed two sixes and a four; if Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were set at that time, they would’ve hit 5 balls for boundaries.
“You could be Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar Yadav, but at least respect the delivery if you can’t respect the bowler. The ball on which Rohit Sharma got out wasn’t a weak ball. No doubt Rohit and Suryakumar are great players, but that doesn’t mean you should hit the good deliveries, too,” Sehwag said further.
Rohit’s poor run
Rohit Sharma has had a poor run in the past few IPL matches; since he scored a century against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings last month, Rohit has failed to cross double figures in four of his seven innings. His highest score since the ton was 36 against the Punjab Kings.
Rohit will lead the Indian team at the T20 World Cup and will hope to capitalise on the final opportunity in the IPL next week, as MI play their last match of the season against Lucknow Super Giants on May 17. The side was the first this season to get eliminated from the race for playoffs.
