Sanjay Manjrekar believes Rohit Sharma’s batting prowess is waning with age, suggesting that the former Mumbai Indians (MI) captain is struggling to maintain his dominance at the crease. Rohit, who played a pivotal role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph, has endured a lackluster start to IPL 2025, scoring just eight runs across two innings, including a duck.
According to Sanjay Manjrekar, Rohit Sharma is now at a stage in his career where he must work harder to stay match-ready. Speaking on JioHotstar, he said, “Rohit Sharma is clearly going through a phase. He’s not the Rohit of three to four years ago. He has to push himself every morning—train hard and be at his best—because things are slipping away for him. Right now, he’s still relying on natural talent and instincts.”
Mumbai Indians, under new captain Hardik Pandya, have also had a tough start, losing both their opening games against Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. Adding to their struggles, Rohit’s new opening partner, Ryan Rickelton, has managed just 19 runs in two innings.
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Sanjay Manjrekar feels the South African will need time to adapt to Indian conditions, stating, “Very few South African batters, barring AB de Villiers and Heinrich Klaasen, have truly flourished here. Rickelton will need some time.”
MI’s middle order, comprising Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and young talents like Robin Minz, has yet to inspire confidence. “To me, the batting line-up looks unconvincing. A lot of these players rely on pitches where the ball comes onto the bat nicely,” Manjrekar pointed out.
Chasing 197 against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, MI fell short, finishing at 160/6. Manjrekar observed that the early loss of two wickets for just 35 runs put them on the back foot. In contrast, the Gujarat Titans had 129 runs for their first two wickets, which gave them a strong foundation.
“If this chase had been at Wankhede, MI would have come much closer,” he noted. “Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav tried to build a partnership, but in a 190-plus chase, slowing down even a little increases the required run rate significantly.”
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Sanjay Manjrekar also felt MI allowed Gujarat Titans to post an above-par total, saying, “GT batted better and ended up with 15-20 extra runs. The dew never came in, which made MI’s job tougher.” Despite MI’s sluggish start, Manjrekar isn’t writing them off just yet. “Two early losses are nothing new for Mumbai Indians. They are still on track to challenge for the title,” he concluded.
