Rohit Sharma struck a commanding note on his return to the Mumbai Indians’ playing XI as the franchise took on Lucknow Super Giants on Monday. Batting at the Wankhede Stadium, the former MI captain produced a forceful 84 off 44 deliveries, punishing the bowlers with a flurry of boundaries—seven maximums and six fours—at a strike rate of 190.91. It was not just a big innings; it also came with a milestone that underlined Rohit’s longevity and class in the IPL.
While roaring through his knock, Rohit crossed another piece of IPL history by moving ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting star Virat Kohli in the all-time appearances list. Rohit reached 277 matches, surpassing Kohli’s 276 to claim the second spot for most games in the competition. The record remains out of reach for now, with Chennai Super Kings icon MS Dhoni still sitting on top on 278 appearances. Dhoni, however, is yet to feature this season because of a lingering calf issue, meaning both Rohit and Kohli are positioned to challenge him soon in the standings of appearances.
For Mumbai, Rohit’s innings offered exactly the kind of rhythm the home crowd wanted. He kept finding gaps and consistently used his power game—especially his signature pull shots and quick wristy flicks—to keep Lucknow’s bowlers under pressure. The momentum lasted until he was finally dismissed, falling to Manimaran Siddharth’s left-arm spin. Soon after, Tilak Varma departed as well, and those wickets briefly lifted Lucknow’s hopes of controlling the chase or limiting the damage.
Stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav then made 12 before Naman Dhir contributed 23. Will Jacks, meanwhile, held his nerve in the closing phase, scoring quickly and ultimately delivering the finishing blows with a winning six in his 10-ball effort, steering the team home after a series of late twists.
Earlier in the match, Lucknow had their own bright spell with Nicholas Pooran. The West Indies batter struck form with a 21-ball 63, giving the visitors a platform to build towards a substantial total. Mitchell Marsh provided the early spark for Lucknow as well, making 44 off 25 deliveries and combining with Pooran for a 94-run partnership for the second wicket.
Mumbai responded in the ninth over when pace bowler Corbin Bosch struck twice, removing Pooran and Marsh to stop the flow. Yet Lucknow maintained their tempo, powered by unbeaten innings from Aiden Markram and Himmat Singh. Markram added 31 and Himmat top-scored with 40, and together they stitched a 68-run stand for the sixth wicket—boosting Lucknow’s total—though it ultimately proved insufficient as the match swung back towards Mumbai.
