The 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) promises a fresh start for Rohit Sharma. The joint-most successful IPL captain with five titles, Rohit hasn’t enjoyed the best of runs in recent years, crossing the 400-run mark just twice since 2019. However, this time feels different. Leaner and fitter after a remarkable weight-loss transformation, Rohit looks determined to reclaim his dominance in the T20 format. His transformation has already caught attention, with Eoin Morgan and Brendon McCullum even teasing the former India captain during the T20 World Cup knockouts. And ahead of the Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 opener on Sunday, franchise owner Nita Ambani was the latest to be left impressed.
Rohit Sharma looks like a million bucks ahead of IPL 2026 (PTI)
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As Nita Ambani made her way to the ground, she greeted batting coach Kieron Pollard, affectionately calling him ‘Polly Kaka’. As she went around shaking hands, her attention turned to Rohit Sharma. Seeing him, she could hardly believe it was her former captain. “You look like a boy,” she exclaimed, drawing a bright smile from Rohit.
Rohit has reportedly lost close to 11 kilos and is heading into the IPL 2026 aiming for his best show in years. Last year, Rohit scored 418 runs, his best in 10 years. The season prior, Rohit managed 417 runs, but out of those 100 came against KKR.
Last year, barring a couple of matches, Rohit featured primarily as an Impact Player – a role that is likely to continue this season. Head coach Mahela Jayawardene hinted that while he would prefer Rohit to play through the match, the presence of only two specialist batters – Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav – makes that difficult.
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MI, the five-time champions, start their IPL 2026 campaign on Sunday, taking on the three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium. MI lead KKR 10-2 at this venue and overall, 35-34.
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight.
At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.
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Home/Cricket/Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani fails to recognise Rohit Sharma after batting great’s unbelievable transformation
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