Will Hardik Pandya Drop Out-Of-Form Rohit Sharma From MI's Playing XI vs SRH?

Debashis Sarangi

Will Rohit be dropped vs SRH? [Source: AP]Will Rohit be dropped vs SRH? [Source: AP]

This evening, Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 33rd group-stage match of the ongoing IPL 2025 season. The high-octane clash will be played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. 

Ahead of the high-voltage clash, MI are sweating over Rohit Sharma's lean patch, with the veteran batter recording a string of low scores in the tournament. 

Rohit Sharma's IPL 2025 Records

Criterion
Data
Innings5
Runs56
Average11.20
Strike Rate136.59

(Rohit Sharma's IPL 2025 stats)

Legendary Indian batter Rohit Sharma has struggled to get going in the IPL 2025. Opening the batting for MI, the talismanic Mumbaikar has managed only 56 runs at an abysmal average of 11.20 and a strike rate of 136.59. 

Rohit kickstarted his IPL 2025 journey with a duck against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) before registering a single-digit score in the subsequent affair against Gujarat Titans. He couldn't convert his starts into significant scores, managing 13, 17 and 18 runs against KKR, RCB and DC, respectively. 

Will MI Drop Rohit Sharma Vs SRH?

Although Rohit Sharma's form is a cause of concern for MI, the five-time champions won't likely drop the legendary batter due to multiple reasons as explained below. 

  • Rohit Sharma is too big a name to get dropped. His stature and reputation work in his favour and might prevent MI from excluding him from their XI. 
  • Rohit Sharma has led MI to five IPL titles during his stint as their captain in the tournament. Despite failing with the bat, Rohit has thoroughly assisted Hardik Pandya, helping MI bounce back from precarious situations with his shrewd tactics. 
  • In fact, it was Rohit who vouched for Karn Sharma's entry against DC, a moment that completely changed the course of the match. Thus, considering his experience and leadership acumen, it's highly unlikely that MI will drop Rohit Sharma based on his poor form. 
  • Furthermore, MI broke their losing streak, defeating DC in their sixth group-stage match of the competition. As they secured a victory in the previous game, the five-time champions won't likely tinker with their winning combination. 

However, MI might decide to bring Vignesh Puthur back in place of Karn Sharma, considering SRH's LHB-heavy top order and Travis Head's worrisome T20 record against left-arm wrist spin (72 runs, 5 dismissals, average 14.4). 

MI's Probable Combination vs SRH

Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Will Jacks, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Karn Sharma/Vignesh Puthur