Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma (PTI Photo) Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has urged Mumbai Indians to make full use of Rohit Sharma on the field instead of restricting him to the role of Impact Player.Rohit, who captained MI to five Indian Premier League titles, was largely deployed as an Impact Player last season. This meant his involvement was limited to batting and according to Kaif, the team missed the leadership of their veteran batsman’s presence. Despite a limited role, Rohit still managed a solid campaign with 418 runs from 15 matches at an average of 29.86 at a strike rate of 149.29.
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IPL 2026: Mukesh Kumar on Shami’s impact and India’s comeback plans The franchise handed over the captaincy duties to Hardik Pandya ahead of IPL 2024. While that season ended in disappointment with MI finishing last, the team made a big comeback in 2025 and advanced to Qualifier 2.Kaif feels Rohit’s reduced role last year was a mistake, especially in high-pressure moments. He pointed to the Qualifier 2 clash against Punjab Kings, where MI fell short despite a match-winning innings from Shreyas Iyer. In this situation, Kaif felt that Hardik could have benefited from Rohit’s leadership on the field.
contributed by Mohammad Kaif
In a post shared on X, Kaif emphasized that MI should utilize the more skilful and leaner Rohit, insisting that the veteran can’t be limited to just an Impact Player. He emphasized that Rohit’s presence at key stages will not only boost Hardik’s captaincy but also positively impact his own batting rhythm.“Mumbai Indians should make full use of the fitter and leaner Rohit Sharma. He can’t be just an impact player, MI will need him in crunch situations. His contributions to skipper Hardik Pandya will also be valuable. Last year in Qualifier 2 against Kings XI when Shreyas Iyer was batting, Hardik needed Rohit,” Rohit wrote.
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Mumbai Indians begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a home match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
