Mumbai Indians (MI) head coach Mahela Jayawardene on Monday has revealed Rohit Sharma’s injury and explained why the former captain has been used as an impact substitute by the five-time champions in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
“No, it wasn’t at the start. Obviously, Rohit was on the field in some of the games,” Jayawardene told reporters on the eve of their clash against Gujarat Titans (GT).
“But if you look at the composition of the team, most of the guys are doing dual roles. Most of them are bowling. At the same time, some of the venues need boundary runners,” he said.
In 10 innings this season, Rohit Sharma has amassed 293 runs, including three fifties.
“You need guys with speed and all that. So that also comes into play. Rohit was also nursing a niggle from the Champions Trophy,” he said.
“So we wanted to make sure that we don’t push him too hard. And we have managed that while batting is the most important thing,” he added.
With the best Net Run Rate among all teams, third-placed MI need two wins from remaining three matches to ensure a direct spot in the final four. The five-time winners will play two of these games at home, where they have won four out of five matches.
Who’s that IPL player?
GT, who are ranked fourth, have four matches left of which two will be at their home-ground in Ahmedabad where they too have won four out of five times. The Shubman Gill-led side essentially needs two more wins to sail into the playoffs.
Ever since MI began their winning streak, which has swelled to an impressive six matches on the trot, they have not conceded a total in excess of 200 either at home or away even once.
