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'Cheete ki chaal...': Rohit Sharma gets 'T20 World Cup' backing after being shown no mercy over abysmal IPL 2024 run
In the last seven innings this season, Rohit Sharma has only scored 88 runs at a strike rate of 104.8 with 12.6 as average.
It was his diminishing returns with the bat over the last few IPL seasons that led to Mumbai Indians removing Rohit Sharma from the captaincy role for the 2024 season. And while Rohit did kick off the season on an impressive note, which included an unbeaten knock of 105 against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede, he struggled to score big runs for MI ever since. In the last seven innings this season, he has only scored 88 runs at a strike rate of 104.8 with 12.6 as average. The abysmal run sparked widespread criticism from experts while fans expressed concerns with the T20 World Cup just around the corner. But the India captain received strong backing from former cricketer Pragyan Ojha.
On Saturday, while Ishan Kishan kicked off Mumbai's chase of 158 against Kolkata Knight Riders on an aggressive note with a 19-ball 38 in the powerplay, Rohit struggled to find his rhythm as he managed just 17 runs in the first 19 balls before looking absolutely clueless against the likes of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. He was eventually dismissed for 19 off 24 as MI lost by 18 runs.
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Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag was among the first to lash out at Rohit's approach in the match against KKR. “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,” he told Cricbuzz.
Meanwhile, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan admitted that he is quite concerned with Rohit's form ahead of the World Cup, which begins in about three weeks.
“Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma’s form is a big worry for Mumbai and Indians. You hope that they come back to form quickly,” Irfan wrote on X.
Amid the criticism, Ojha, Rohit's former IPL teammate at Deccan Chargers, backed the senior batter to bounce back strongly in the T20 World Cup.
“Cheete Ki Chaal, Baaz Ki Nazar, Aur #rohirat Ke batsmanship Par Sandeh Nahi Karte….! #T20WorldCup24 #TeamIndia #twopillars (The gait of a cheetah, the vision of a hawk, and the batting skills of Rohit & Virat are never doubted),” he posted.
Rohit will still have one more opportunity in IPL 2024 to bounce back to form when Mumbai, who have already been eliminated from the race to the playoffs, take on Lucknow Super Giants at home on May 17.
