In-form Rohit can hurt play-off hopes of many teams, says Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar lauded Rohit Sharma’s focused, impactful batting, highlighting his 84 against LSG. He added that Jasprit Bumrah’s dip in form is due to overcomplicating things and advised him to return to basics.

Hyderabad: Former India captain and JioStar expert Sunil Gavaskar said that he had been watching Rohit Sharma closely over the last year and that ever since he was removed as captain in white-ball cricket and the IPL, he has focused more on his batting.

Speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’, Sunil Gavaskar lauded Rohit Sharma’s batting display against LSG.

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“Rohit scored runs in the ODI series against Australia, did well in the home series, and now he is doing the same in the IPL. In the IPL, he usually scores 400 to 500 runs a season, but his knocks are often impactful. He may not have many 80-plus innings, but his 40 to 50-run starts give his team early momentum,” Gavaskar said.

“The change in his game is clear: he now wants to bat deeper and leave a bigger impact. In this 84-run knock, we saw all the typical Rohit Sharma shots. The pull shot was on display. Short balls disappeared into the stands. Full deliveries were driven through the cover region. He also lofted long off with ease,” he said.

“Against left-arm spinner M Siddharth, he played down the ground, hitting against the turn. We saw a focused Rohit Sharma against LSG. If he continues this form, Mumbai Indians will hurt the playoff hopes of many teams in the remaining matches,” Gavaskar said.

On Jasprit Bumrah’s struggles with the ball, Gavaskar said: “Bumrah is giving his best, but he seems to be trying too many extra things. He took a wicket after the strategic timeout, but it was a no-ball. Then he bowled a few more no-balls. He is creating wicket-taking chances, but luck is not on his side”

“Bumrah’s pace has also dropped. His go-to slower ball length has become fuller. The line that used to target the stumps is now drifting to leg stump. He is not known for bowling many no-balls, but this season he has already bowled six or seven. He tried bowling fuller lengths, but that didn’t work. He is overdoing things, and that’s hurting him. He should go back to his basics and stick to what works best for him. Trying new things is affecting his rhythm and luck isn’t helping either,” Gavaskar said.

“It will take just one or two games. Once he starts picking up wickets, he will be back on track. But Bumrah needs to keep it simple and stop overcomplicating his bowling,” he added.

On where LSG went wrong despite posting 228 against MI, Gavaskar said: “228 is a big total, no doubt about it. LSG’s batting, which has struggled all season, finally clicked against MI. They were at 155 after 11 overs and looked on track for 250-plus, but Mumbai’s bowlers pulled things back. Still, 228 is a challenging score, so credit to LSG’s batters.”

“Mitchell Marsh got runs, Nicholas Pooran smashed a 16-ball fifty at number three, and Aiden Markram had a contribution late in the order. But LSG’s bowling let them down,” he said.

“Their bowling has been a strength this season, but not in this game. Mohammed Shami, their lead bowler, had an off day. I believe Digvesh Rathi should have played instead of M Siddharth. Yes, Rathi has had a poor season, but he is LSG’s strike bowler. Leaving him out was a big mistake,” Gavaskar said.

“He has a good record against MI’s batters, but he sat on the bench while Mumbai’s batters took the game away. LSG’s playoff hopes are fading, but they can still finish the season strongly. To do that, they must stop changing their lineup every game,” he said.