Rohit Sharma is one of the most prolific batters in world cricket in the current era and is considered to be one of the greatest in white-ball cricket. But, in this year’s IPL, he hasn’t looked like himself as he has struggled to convert his starts and it could be something to worry about.
Rohit Sharma is the most important man in Indian cricket at the moment. He has been in the limelight for a long time but since the departure of Virat Kohli as captain of the Indian team, the Mumbai batter has taken over as the captain of the national team in all formats. He has a proven track record of being one of the best as a leader which can be proved by the achievements that he has had over the years in the Indian Premier League. Rohit Sharma as captain of the Mumbai Indians has managed to win the IPL title five times which is the most by any captain in the history of the league so far.
This year has been different for the 34-year-old batter from Mumbai. Since taking over as captain of the Indian team, Rohit has gone from strength to strength and has won the series against West Indies and Sri Lanka as a skipper. The decisions that he has made on-field during India’s matches have been spot on which is why he is being looked at as someone who has the potential to help team India win the T20 World Cup slated to take place in Australia later this year.
But, all has not been well for the India skipper when it comes to franchise cricket this year. Mumbai Indians much like all other teams in the Indian Premier League had to revamp their squad during the IPL mega-auction which took place in Bengaluru in February 2022. With the addition of two new teams, all franchises’ had a chance to rebuild their squad and Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians did it too. Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Quinton de Kock were some of the names missing from their line-up this year. However, with youngsters like Dewald Brevis and Ishan Kishan, the team management must have expected to do well this year.
The problem is that Mumbai Indians are not having a good season despite having players who have experience and youngsters who have the ability to fire for them. Rohit Sharma is used to his team starting slow and for nine years now they have never won their first game whenever they take the field. But this year has been very different both for Mumbai Indians and Rohit Sharma. They are having the worst season ever after having lost five successive matches. The last time this happened with them was back in 2013.
It has never happened under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and it looks as if the skipper himself has no answers. They are doing everything but still have not been able to cross the finish line. The ability to absorb pressure and go hammer and tongs in the last five overs of the innings also seems lost this time around.
Rohit Sharma the batter is also not on display in IPL 2022. He keeps getting starts but has constantly failed to convert them in the last five games that he has played. Teams seem to have a plan whenever they come out to bowl at him and trap him to set the tone for the rest of the game. Mumbai Indians camp might say that they aren’t worried about their skippers’ form, but it may not be entirely true.
The right-handed batter from Mumbai is struggling the most this time around than in any other year of the IPL. In the five games of the IPL that he has played, Rohit Sharma has managed to score 108 runs so far with an average of 21.60 which is quite worrying for him as well as his franchise. He might do well in the coming games and things might change completely but the fact of the matter is that he is struggling and it can be a problem for the Indian team as well if he does not get back in his rhythm.
Rohit Sharma is the captain of the Indian team now and has a huge responsibility on his shoulders. Since 2019, Rohit Sharma has been India’s number one batter. He has been the one around whom the batting has revolved mostly and the five centuries that he struck during the 2019 world cup were proof of his rise.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli has not scored a hundred in any format since December 2019 which is why it is even more important for Rohit Sharma to find his mojo back. With two ICC events lined up in 2022 and 2023, the target is to win the T20 World Cup as well as the ODI World Cup which is scheduled to take place in India in 2023.
Both trophies have eluded the Indian cricket team for far too long. It was 2007’s inaugural T20 World Cup edition which India won and then in 2011, we won the ODI trophy after 28 long years both victories came under MS Dhoni‘s leadership.
Virat Kohli failed to win any ICC tournament as captain which is one of the reasons why India turned t Rohit Sharma. As a 5-time IPL champion, he has the ability and the qualities to help India win ICC tournaments. But the right-handed batter will have to fire with the bat. If he is unable to find his form in IPL 2022, then things could become difficult for the captain of India as well as Mumbai.
Rohit Sharma’s form is a definite cause of concern but with the kind of experience that he has had over the years that he has been playing as an international cricketer, it is highly likely that he will find his form in the IPL itself.
