 "How Rohit Sharma and SKY constructed perfect match-winning knocks at Wankhede")
It’s been a season of sensational debuts so far in the 2025 Indian Premier League , with Chennai Super Kings’ Ayush Mhatre becoming the latest youngster to become make an instant impression after smashing Ashwani Kumar for a four and two sixes within the first four deliveries that he faced at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
The key takeaway from the Sunday double-header, however, was Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stamping their authority with the bat to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians pull off successful chases against Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings respectively.
Nearly a year since retiring from Twenty20 Internationals after helping India win the T20 World Cup, the two stalwarts are still winning matches for their respective IPL franchises, proving that class is indeed permanent regardless of the format.
A Fulfilling Sunday watching these two bat 😊#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB | #MIvCSK | @imVkohli | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/oO2xc8jmcD
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2025
Kohli has had his moments so far in the ongoing season; the former RCB captain currently sits at the fourth spot in the leading run-getters’ list with 322 runs to his name at an average of 64.40, collecting four half-centuries in eight outings along the way.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRohit, however, had a hard time justifying MI’s decision to retain him at Rs 16.30 crore ahead of the mega auction, having scored just 82 runs in six outings at an average of 13.67 before Sunday’s match. Especially since he doesn’t shoulder the burden of captaincy any longer, and has been used as an ‘Impact Sub’ throughout the season.
He had shown glimpses of regaining his old form during Thursday’s home game against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which he was dismissed for 26 off 16 balls after a blazing start.
On Sunday evening at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium where there was more yellow in the stands than blue, the 'Hitman' finally converted that start into a bigger score , remaining unbeaten on 76 off 43 balls to silence his critics and prove that he still had it in him to deliver in the slam-bang format.
Rohit the T20 batter back with a bang after nearly a year
MI were the favourites even before their chase got underway, thanks to CSK posting a sub-par 176/5 on the board despite half-centuries by Ravindra Jadeja (53 not out) and Shivam Dube (50). Funny things, however, have happened in the IPL recently, and Mumbai couldn’t afford to allow Chennai to fight their way back in the game with a couple of early wickets.
Rickelton did have a narrow escape in the very first over after left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed’s appeal for an LBW was turned down by the umpire, with replays later showing three reds on ball-tracking. Had CSK taken that upstairs, MI would have found themselves in a situation they’ve been far too familiar with this season.
Rohit instantly capitalised on the reprieve with a trademark pull over deep square leg off Jamie Overton’s bowling in the second over, with the ball landing in the second tier beyond the backward square-leg fence. The ‘Hitman’ would then tee off in the following over by smashing Khaleel, who had dismissed him for a four-ball duck at Chepauk, for a six and two fours in a space of four deliveries.
Wankhede stadium is buzzing 🥳
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2025
Rohit Sharma is depositing them into the second tiers 🔥
Updates ▶ https://t.co/v2k7Y5sIdi#TATAIPL | #MIvCSK | @ImRo45 | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/BAFtGG3DB1
And by the time an under-pressure Overton leaked 18 runs in the fifth over which included three wides with Rohit on strike, MI were off to their best start this season, going past fifty inside the powerplay without losing a wicket for the first time.
Rohit has been pinch-hitter for the Indian team in recent years, guiding the Men in Blue to red-hot starts in 2023 ODI World Cup as well as in the T20 World Cup last June and in the ICC Champions Trophy more recently.
It was a similar story against the MS Dhoni-led CSK on Sunday as Rohit made MI’s job of collecting their third consecutive victory and their fourth of the season so much easier with his powerplay blitz.
Rohit, however, was by no means done after making superb use of the fielding restrictions. MI sent Suryakumar Yadav out at No 3 after Ravindra Jadeja broke the opening partnership by getting rid of Rickelton, who departed for 24 four balls after the conclusion of the powerplay.
Constructing the perfect match-winning knock at Wankhede
SKY, who is in red-hot form at the moment and is sitting at the third spot in the leading run-getters’ list with 333 runs, quickly neutralised the Jadeja threat by smashing the veteran left-arm spinner for a four and a six in each of his next two overs.
That marked the beginning of the unbroken 114-run stand between Rohit and Surya that would seal the game for Mumbai with plenty of overs to spare, greatly boosting their Net Run Rate (NRR) on the points table.
If the ‘Hitman’ played the aggressor’s role to perfection in the powerplay, he was happy to play a supporting role to Surya in the middle overs of the chase as the latter bossed the CSK spinners, especially Afghan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad – who had decimated the Mumbai batting order at Chepauk with a haul of 4/18 but went wicketless for 36 runs in Chennai’s latest fixture.
Along the way, Rohit finally opened the half-centuries column in his batting stats for the season, bringing up his 44th IPL fifty in 33 deliveries. And by smashing a flurry of boundaries off Matheesha Pathirana’s bowling with the finish line very much in sight, he ensured MI got over the line in a flourish with 26 deliveries still left to be bowled.
Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, find themselves on a roll at the moment after getting the season off to a familiar slow start. And with their near-complete performance against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, MI showcased its batting might for the first time this season.
Rohit’s return to form couldn’t have come at a better time for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. And how he performs in the second half of the season could have a major say in how far the team goes in their quest for a sixth title.
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