IPL 2026: MI could've won more if Rohit returned earlier: Harbhajan

Harbhajan Singh feels that if Rohit Sharma had recovered from his injury earlier, Mumbai Indians might have won more games in IPL 2026. He praised Rohit's match-winning 84-run comeback knock, which ended MI's losing streak.

Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh expressed that he wished Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Rohit Sharma's injury had healed earlier, and that it would have helped the Mumbai-based franchise win a game or two more in their recent outings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. Harbhajan's comments come after Rohit's match-defining 84-run knock in his comeback match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) yesterday, which helped MI end their three-match losing streak and win by six wickets.

Rohit, opening the innings with Ryan Rickelton (83 off 32), scored 84 off 44, hitting six boundaries and seven sixes. He stitched a partnership of 143 runs off just 65 balls, helping MI chase the 229-run target.

Rohit Sharma had sustained a hamstring injury in the Mumbai Indians' game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on April 12. Since Rohit's injury, MI played five matches and managed just one win, damaging their chances of making it to the IPL 2026 playoffs badly.

'Wish his injury had healed earlier'

Speaking on JioStar, JioStar expert Harbhajan Singh said that MI might have had a better campaign if Rohit Sharma had returned earlier from injury. He added that an earlier comeback could have helped them win a couple more matches and stay more in contention for the playoffs. He also noted that MI can still keep their hopes alive by winning all remaining games to reach 14 points, with qualification possibly depending on other results and net run rate.

"I wish his injury had healed a little earlier; who knows, they might have won a game or two during that losing streak and would have still been alive in the competition. They will give themselves a chance if they win every game from here and get to 14 points. Who knows, if other teams start losing, there could be a net run-rate situation at 14 points, anything can happen," said Harbhajan.

Rohit's on-field impact

Harbhajan Singh said that Rohit made a crucial impact by being out in the middle rather than in the dugout, playing a dominant knock that not only laid the foundation but nearly sealed the chase against LSG. He added that while a century would have been ideal, Rohit's performance was outstanding and left little for the rest of the team to do.

"It's important to be in the middle. You can do only so much sitting in the dugout. But you can make a difference by being in the middle, and Rohit Sharma did exactly that. You needed that foundation to chase down that many runs, and he didn't just lay the foundation, but built a couple of floors on it as well, leaving very little for the rest to do. It would have been even better if he had gotten his hundred, but for the time he was there, he played exceptionally well," Harbhajan said.

MI's Playoff Scenario

Despite the win over LSG, MI sit ninth in the IPL 2026 points table with just three wins in 10 matches. The only team below them are LSG, with just two wins in nine matches so far. (ANI)

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