Mark Boucher has seen Rohit Sharma up close during his stint as Mumbai Indians' head coach. And even though Rohit hasn’t quite lit up the IPL 2025 season yet, Boucher is convinced that something special is just around the corner.
The former South Africa cricketer believes the MI veteran is beginning to find his range again, and the sixes he struck against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday are a telling sign.
“Rohit Sharma took it upon himself to go after the bowlers,” Boucher told JioHotstar.
“We saw some good old-fashioned Rohit Sharma sixes – big ones too. I liked his attitude. He put the bowlers under pressure, created scoring opportunities… a big score is coming very soon. He’s looking in that zone again.”
"He put the bowlers under pressure, created scoring opportunities. He was just past the 30-mark -- a big score is coming very soon. He’s looking in that zone again.”
Boucher on Hardik
While Rohit is still chasing a big score, MI skipper Hardik Pandya has found his groove with both bat and ball. His impactful 21 off 9 balls against Hyderabad, along with his growing influence with the ball in the middle overs, has caught the attention of both Boucher and Ajay Jadeja.
“Hardik Pandya is one of the best all-rounders in the world,” Boucher said. “He’s picking up wickets in the tough overs, and that’s giving him confidence which is translating into his batting. He’s going in and finishing games.”
{{/usCountry}}“Hardik Pandya is one of the best all-rounders in the world,” Boucher said. “He’s picking up wickets in the tough overs, and that’s giving him confidence which is translating into his batting. He’s going in and finishing games.”
{{/usCountry}}Jadeja echoed that sentiment. “Hardik Pandya is a character, and he is leading from the front -- whether it’s batting, bowling, fielding, or even off the field. He’s always smiling. The one thing about him – he never gives up.”
The turning point, Jadeja believes, came in the Super Over win against Delhi Capitals. “That was the game that may well have turned their season around. Tonight was a bonus. The Delhi game showed what MI and Hardik are made of.”