Rohit Sharma will miss today’s Indian Premier League clash between Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings at Wankhede Stadium. At the toss, MI captain Hardik Pandya confirmed that Rohit is unavailable, adding that the star batter may need “another couple of games” before he can return to the playing XI. Punjab Kings won the toss and opted to field.
Rohit’s absence stems from a hamstring issue picked up in Mumbai Indians’ most recent match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday at the same venue. In that game, MI suffered a heavy defeat, losing by 18 runs, and the contest never felt like it was properly balanced after the early phases.
He had been attended to initially, but the problem did not improve enough for him to continue. Not long after, Rohit walked off without resuming his innings. He therefore did not bat again, as RCB completed the chase in a dominant fashion. Before leaving the field in the sixth over, Rohit had made 19 runs from 13 balls, and the injury clearly disrupted MI’s pursuit.
After the match, the franchise’s media operations team indicated that further updates regarding Rohit’s fitness would be shared as and when they become available.
Rohit, meanwhile, has put in significant effort over the past few months to extend his ODI career. His aim is to be fit for the next World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Across a long international run, he has lifted every major white-ball trophy, with the ODI World Cup being the only major title not yet added to his collection.
Still, the latest setbacks raise doubts about how reliable his participation will be in the next season. With age working against him, and more injuries appearing along the way, the outlook for his schedule looks increasingly uncertain.
