Rohit Sharma was the second-highest run-getter of the Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2026 opener.
The five-time title-winning captain Rohit Sharma has been off to a great start in the IPL 2026. He had smacked a 38-ball 78 at a blazing strike rate of 205.26 in their tournament opener against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The pulsating knock, laced with six fours and as many over-boundaries, clearly showcased his intent for the ongoing season.
Ahead of tomorrow’s DC vs MI fixture, Mumbai Indians’ head coach Mahela Jayawardene has shared how the batter geared up for the season to enter the IPL 2026 with a scorching-hot form.
The MI head coach applauded Rohit for putting up a fierce start despite having a 10-month-long break in the format. Jayawardene revealed how the former skipper had started training with some of the other franchise members well ahead of the season. He also took part in multiple match simulations that helped him to regain the touch before their first IPL 2026 match at home.
“He had a plan, which obviously involved a few of the guys in our setup who were part of this training. Even though he hasn’t played competitive cricket, he did quite a bit of skills work off-season whenever he had the time. Then he joined us on day one of our camp. We had a chat on how we wanted to start and we did a lot of simulations,” stated Jayawardene in the pre-match press conference.
“We played quite a few practice matches and he played all of them. It was a good start for him in the first game and hopefully he can continue that. I know it’s been tough, but he’s focused, he’s relaxed, and he’s contributing in a very positive way, which is great for us,” he added.
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Earlier, several experts had opined that his stats in the mega T20 league don’t do justice to the stature of a stalwart like Rohit Sharma. The swashbuckling opener, who has notched up 4,231 runs in 159 T20I matches of his career, had managed to score only 1,313 runs, including six half-centuries, across four seasons since MI’s last title-winning campaign in IPL 2020.
But the batter has scripted a huge comeback in the previous two editions, putting up a combined 835 runs, including five fifty-plus knocks in 29 matches, striking at 149.64. However, following a fiery start to the season, Rohit would want to carry on his purple patch throughout IPL 2026, as MI eye a record sixth-time triumph in the tournament.
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