Follow UsRohit Sharma, after having average outings in the last eight seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is having an average of more than 32.5 for the first time, with six games to go at the league stage. More than any other season, Rohit was under pressure this season to perform with the bat as he has retired from T20Is and is no longer leading the Mumbai Indians (MI).
Thus, batting remained the only way he could remain with the team, and he delivered when it was required the most. After scores of 0, 8, 13, 18 and 26, he scored two continuous fifties and is one of the reasons for the side’s four wins on the trot.
But for MI batting coach Kieron Pollard, it was not surprising at all that Rohit had got back into form.
"If my memory serves me right, at the start of this competition, that question was different. I said sitting right here, we are also going to be singing his praises as an individual," the West Indian said on April 27 (Saturday) ahead of the team’s IPL 2025 clash against Lucknow Super Giants at the Wankhede Stadium on April 28.
"For us, we always had that belief that he is going to come good,” Pollard added.
Explaining how there are phases in a cricketer’s life and how they overcome it with experience, Pollard praised Rohit, saying, "For someone who has played this sport for a long time, you have these moments. Sometimes you just need that extra support from people.”
Pollard, himself a former MI stalwart, said that the team is not dependent upon individuals but expects every player to perform well at some point.
"The headlines are going to be about that. But for us, in our entire batting unit, we look for guys to perform at different junctures in a tournament. We are not going to individualise it,” he said.