Ahead of the IPL 2026, Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene has explained role of Rohit Sharma in the playing XI. He has confirmed that former MI captain Rohit Sharma will not be playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 as an impact player.
Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of the Mumbai Indians on December 15,2023 before the IPL 2024 mega-auction. This decision of MI management created a split among fans, many of whom wished to see Rohit Sharma continue leading the Mumbai Indians. The former skipper had previously leaded Mumbai Indians to a historic five IPL titles.
During IPL 2025, Rohit Sharma featured as an impact player in many matches and was not at his best. In the 18th season of the IPL, the 38-year-old played 15 matches, scoring 418 runs at a strike rate of 149.28.
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Role of Rohit Sharma in IPL 2026 opens up by Mahela Jayawardene
Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardene telling at an event that Rohit was not fully fit and had a few niggles during IPL 2025. He added that he wants to keep the veteran opener more involved on the field in the upcoming season.
Jayawardene told “Rohit, the way we managed him last year – he had a few niggles, so we just needed to manage that. The thing is, he is still making a huge impact on the team whether he is on the field or not. But definitely, this year, I want to keep him more on the field as much as I can, “
However, the Jayawardene also admitted that there could be situations where Rohit might need to play as an impact player to strengthen the bowling attack.
“But the thing is, when we are rotating the bowlers or the impact player, at which point that impact player is coming, and if all other players need to be on the field at that time, that needs to be considered,” he added.
He further explained, “If you look at it, most of our guys are all-rounders, and they do bowl as well. So if the captain needs that option on the field, it’s something I have to look at and discuss depending on the opposition we are playing. The two guys who are not all-rounders at the moment are Rohit and Surya. So, can you help me with that decision-making process?”
Rohit Sharma has played 272 matches and 267 innings in the IPL, scoring 7,046 runs with a strike rate of 132.09 and an average of 29.73. In the IPL, he has registered two centuries and 47 half-centuries.
