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Mumbai Indians‘ veteran player, Rohit Sharma, was sidelined for the IPL 2025 match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday due to a knee injury. However, despite being unavailable to play, Rohit’s strategic inputs from the sidelines made a significant impact on the match.
During a key strategic time-out in the first innings, with LSG on a strong 69 for 0 after six overs, Rohit was seen offering guidance to his teammates, including Hardik Pandya. His advice soon proved to be pivotal.
Just 16 balls after the break, Hardik Pandya bowled a well-executed slower delivery, which dismissed Nicholas Pooran, who had been in excellent form, having scored 75, 70, and 44 in LSG’s previous three games. Pooran, facing just 6 balls, mistimed the slower bouncer and was caught by Deepak Chahar at short fine leg. His departure at 12 runs from 6 balls was a crucial turning point in the match.
Former India cricketer Saba Karim was quick to acknowledge Rohit’s behind-the-scenes influence, commenting: “There are only 11 players on the field, but Rohit Sharma, from outside, instructed Hardik to ‘bowl a little slower,’ and that’s exactly what he did. The result? Pooran went straight into the hands of Deepak Chahar. It was a superb piece of strategy.”
As the camera showed Rohit applauding the wicket, Karim added, “You should be happy,” praising the veteran’s tactical insight.
Rohit was unable to play in the match against LSG due to a knee injury, which had kept him out of action. Hardik Pandya confirmed the injury at the toss, stating, “Rohit was hit on the knee. He is missing out today.”
While his absence was noted, Rohit’s recent form has also been a topic of concern. In the three matches he has played so far in IPL 2025, the Mumbai Indians’ captain has struggled with the bat, scoring just 21 runs. He was dismissed for a duck in the season opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), followed by scores of 8 against Gujarat Titans (GT) and 13 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
On a more positive note, Hardik also provided an update on pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has been recovering from a back injury. “Jasprit should be back soon,” said Hardik, offering hope that the star fast bowler may return to action in the near future.
Mumbai Indians have had a mixed start to their IPL 2025 campaign, and with both Rohit and Bumrah expected to return to full fitness soon, the team will be eager to build momentum in the tournament as they aim for a stronger performance in the coming matches.
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