former indian captain Anil Kumble believe in Rohit SharmaThe current form will force every team to think twice before going against them Mumbai Indians In IPL. In the opening match for Mumbai, Rohit Sharma played a explosive inning of 78 runs, which played an important role in chasing the huge score of 221 runs in just 19.1 overs.
This innings proved that Rohit is not just there to participate; He has come to dominate the tournament. With a display of iconic shots full of class, fans got a glimpse of the young Rohit Sharma of a decade ago. Notably, he also surpassed his fastest IPL half-century, which he had previously scored in 25 balls. Chennai Super Kings In 2015. It is quite clear that he has used his time off well and has returned with a fresh approach, aiming to help MI clinch the sixth coveted IPL title.
Is this Rohit Sharma 2.0?
Rohit Sharma is considered one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket. With three double centuries in ODIs and five T20I centuries, his legacy is already well established. In the IPL, he is one of the elite group of batsmen who have scored over 6000 runs and has remained one of the top performers for Mumbai Indians over the years.
Talking about his form, Anil Kumble said, “It seems that Rohit Sharma has come into his 2.0 avatar and his innings showed that he is ready to dominate again.”
The way he batted, it felt as if you were watching a young version of the Indian captain, fitter, smarter and more dangerous than ever before.
What is the secret behind Rohit Sharma’s strong performance?
Rohit has been away from international cricket since the final. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2025After which he also announced his retirement. Virat Kohli. This break gave him much-needed time to rest, self-analyze and work on his game, which is clearly reflecting in his current performance.
Kumble highlighted the improvement in Rohit’s fitness and overall gameplay: “It is not easy to hit sixes against bowlers like Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Blessing Muzarabani, but he made it look easy. He has worked a lot on his fitness… When you come back after a short break, it takes time to get the rhythm back.”
He said, “It was a brilliant innings… the sixes looked easy to hit and even though the boundaries were short, those shots were going to stand. This innings shows that Rohit means business, and this version of him will worry all IPL teams.”
Did KKR miss out on Sunil Narine?
Anil Kumble praised Rohit Sharma and also criticized him. Kolkata Knight Riders Management when not in use Sunil Narine Effectively.
He pointed out that Narine was not used in the powerplay, a strategy that has worked well for KKR in the past. Kumble suggested that if the captain Ajinkya Rahane Had Narine been introduced earlier, the outcome could have been different, especially considering Narine’s strong record against MI and Rohit in the powerplay.
Kumble said, “KKR is relying too much on Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy and Narine did not even fulfill his quota, which was surprising. The disappointing thing was that Ajinkya Rahane did not bring him in the powerplay.”
“By the time Narine came in, the damage was already done… They need to utilize their resources better. When you have two world-class spinners, you need to utilize them well,” he said.
After losing their first game against Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders will play against Sunrisers Hyderabad on March 2 at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.
Also read: South Africa GOAT claims, Rohit Sharma will perform better than Virat Kohli in IPL 2026
