“Rohit Sharma appears to have returned in his 2.0 form, and his innings demonstrated that he is prepared to assert his dominance once more. The manner in which he struck the ball across the field reminded me of his peak,” Kumble remarked on ‘Star Sports’.
“Hitting sixes off bowlers like Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Blessing Muzarabani is no small feat, yet he made it seem simple. He has significantly improved his fitness, and when returning after a brief hiatus, it generally takes about five to seven days to regain your timing and find your rhythm.
“This was an outstanding innings…The six-hitting appeared effortless, and despite the shorter boundaries, those shots were flying into the stands. This performance indicates that Rohit is serious, and this iteration of him will concern all IPL teams,” he added.
KKR, missing several key bowlers due to injuries, relied heavily on spinners Narine and Chakravarthy, but neither was effective on that day.
“KKR is placing too much dependence on Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, and it was surprising that Narine didn’t even complete his four overs. The frustrating aspect was that Ajinkya Rahane didn’t introduce him in the Powerplay when Rohit and Rickelton were on the offensive,” he noted.
“By the time Narine came on, the damage had already been inflicted. Narine and Varun were the bowlers that could have posed a challenge to MI, but they didn’t bowl together enough. That was where KKR squandered their opportunities to make a comeback in the match.
“They need to optimize the use of their resources. Their fast-bowling squad appears inexperienced, but with two world-class spinners available, it’s crucial to deploy them effectively.”
MI will next take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 4.
(With PTI inputs)
First Published: Mar 30, 2026 6:25 PM IST
