Despite being touted as the favourite to win the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) by many pundits, the Mumbai Indians have had a rough start to their campaign. In six matches, the five-time champions have secured merely a couple of wins, which sees them languishing in seventh place in the standings.
A major reason behind their underwhelming performance has been the lack of runs from their former captain, Rohit Sharma. In five matches, the 37-year-old has scored 56 runs at an average of 11.20 and a strike rate of 136.58.
Amid growing concerns about his form, former Australian captain Michael Clarke has come out in defence of Sharma. Speaking to the media, the JioStar expert stated:
I think Rohit’s an absolute superstar. It’s just a matter of time before he scores a hundred. Honestly, all it might take is one good innings—maybe a 40, maybe a 60—to build momentum, and then you’ll start seeing the best of Rohit Sharma again. I wouldn’t be too concerned about his form. We all have high expectations from great players because they’ve been successful for so long, but missing out on a couple of games is okay. Class is permanent, no doubt about that. I’m confident Rohit will come good.Michael Clarke
On being asked about whether too many leaders are spoiling the broth for Mumbai, he said:
Look, there's no such thing as too much leadership. I think the more experience and leadership you have around you as a captain, the better it is. Yes, one person is in charge, and one person wears the captain’s armband, but having support when you're under pressure is really important. The leadership in that Mumbai team is going to be key for them as they look to keep winning games and make it to the playoffs in this year's IPL.Michael Clarke
On a different note, Rajasthan Royals’ persistence with the left-right batting combination has faced scrutiny after their two latest defeats. On being asked about the necessity of a formulaic batting order, Clarke told The Quint:
I don’t necessarily think the right-hand, left-hand combination matters too much. Personally, when I was batting, I preferred the ball spinning away—it opened up the off-side for scoring. A lot of people think you’re better off when the ball spins in, as it gives you more scoring options, but I didn’t mind it spinning away. These days, players are well-equipped against spin—they’ve got both the sweep and the reverse sweep in their arsenal. The best batters handle spin bowling really well.Michael Clarke