Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes Rohit Sharma’s earlier return from injury could have swung Mumbai Indians’ season in a meaningful way. Rohit marked his comeback at the Wankhede Stadium with a decisive performance against Lucknow Super Giants, helping the franchise chase down a substantial target with comfort.
Key takeaways
- Harbhajan feels Rohit’s prompt availability might have changed the direction of Mumbai Indians’ campaign.
- Rohit’s comeback knock versus Lucknow Super Giants at Wankhede proved crucial in Mumbai’s chase.
- The former spinner said Rohit’s presence reduced pressure on the rest of Mumbai’s batting order.
- Harbhajan suggested Mumbai’s overall struggles increased during Rohit’s absence, particularly during an early losing stretch.
- He believes Mumbai can still reach the playoffs if they win consistently and other results fall their way, potentially at a 14-point mark.
Why Harbhajan thinks Rohit’s return mattered
Harbhajan highlighted the impact of having Rohit in the middle rather than watching from the dugout. In his view, the captain’s role becomes especially significant during high-pressure chases, where building the right platform can determine how the innings is shaped.
He stressed that being on the field allows a batter to influence the chase directly—providing a solid base early and then accelerating when required. Harbhajan argued that Rohit did exactly that against Lucknow, not only setting up the chase but also progressing the innings so that the remaining batters had far less work to complete.
Composure in the chase, and what could have been
Harbhajan praised Rohit’s innings as match-winning, adding that the impact would have been even greater had he reached a century. Still, he believed Rohit played exceptionally well while he was at the crease, contributing heavily to Mumbai’s control of the chase.
He also pointed to the period when Rohit was unavailable, saying Mumbai endured difficulties during that time—most notably during their earlier losing run. Harbhajan went as far as to suggest that if the injury had settled sooner, Mumbai might have managed one or two extra wins during the slump, keeping them more firmly in the hunt.
Playoff hopes remain alive
Despite acknowledging a tough season, Harbhajan believes Mumbai Indians retain a slim but real possibility of making the playoffs. His belief rests on winning every match from here and reaching 14 points, while also hoping that other teams suffer results that open up the qualification scenario.
Harbhajan reasoned that if rivals begin dropping points, Mumbai could even find themselves in a net run-rate situation at 14 points—where the outcome can swing dramatically. In that context, he said anything remains possible.
