IPL 2023: Rohit Sharma has not had the best season, both as a batter and a captain. Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag feels that the Mumbai Indians skipper's struggles might be mental more than technical.
Former five-time record champion Mumbai Indians (MI) has not made a considerable impact, while its senior leader-cum-opener Rohit Sharma is struggling both as a captain and a batter. As a batter, he is fifth in the MI's list of run-scorers and 43rd overall run-scorers for the season. While he has been slammed for his underperformance and being advised to take a break from the sport, legendary former Indian swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag feels that Rohit's batting struggles might not be technical but mental.
Talking to Star Sports, Sehwag told the official IPL broadcaster, Star Sports, "Rohit Sharma is not battling with the bowlers but with himself. There is a mental block. There's no problem with his batting technique. Some confusion is going on in his mind. But, we will make up for all the previous matches the day he gets going."
MI is currently placed seventh in the points table, winning five and losing as many, while it has to win its remaining four games to stand a chance of making it to the playoffs. Analysing Mumbai's performance, Aaron Finch noted, "MI's opening combination looks confused. They are taking a lot of risks. They were looking to hit all the balls. They should learn from Ruturaj Gaikwad. He remains so calm in the middle and hits the loose balls."
Interestingly, Rohit's struggle contrasts with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opener Virat Kohli, the side's highest run-scorer for the season. Legendary former South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir hailed Kohli's consistency and said, "Virat Kohli has always had the urge to score runs. You can score maximum runs in one season, two or three seasons, but if you successfully do this for 15 consecutive seasons, it can be attributed to your hard work and dedication. What Virat has done in the last 15 years is commendable."