Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene lavished praise on Rohit Sharma for his outstanding innings of 81 runs in the IPL 2025 Eliminator against Gujarat Titans. Opening alongside Jonny Bairstow, Rohit laid the foundation with a solid 84-run partnership that set Mumbai on course for a challenging total of 228 at Mullanpur Stadium.
Jayawardene highlighted Rohit’s strategic approach to the innings, noting that while Rohit could have attacked from the outset, he wisely chose to gauge the pace and conditions first. After some initial struggles and two dropped catches, Rohit found his rhythm, reaching a well-paced half-century off 28 balls before continuing on to a powerful 81-run knock.
“RO batted brilliantly. I think he took his time a little bit, letting Jonny take control initially. And then when he knew it was his time, he got into a brilliant tempo. The pressure that he put on Sai [Kishore] and Rashid [Khan] in that situation was absolutely brilliant," Jayawardene said, emphasizing Rohit’s ability to switch gears in big matches as a mark of his experience.
He also drew parallels to Rohit’s patient yet impactful innings in the Champions Trophy final, where Rohit’s 76 off 83 balls helped India clinch the title on a challenging Dubai wicket.
Jayawardene further credited Mumbai’s smart tactical shifts during the game, especially switching to yorkers after slower deliveries failed to grip the pitch. Despite a tough last 10 overs for the bowlers, the experienced core held their nerve and executed their plans effectively.
“When you have a winning culture, it's easier to try and have that same thing going through. We have a very experienced core group within our ranks. That winning mentality itself comes through from those senior players,” Jayawardene remarked. He also spoke about integrating new players post-auction, instilling in them the resilient Mumbai mindset of never giving up regardless of the situation.
Overall, Jayawardene's words reinforced Rohit Sharma’s role as a seasoned match-winner and the strong, experience-driven ethos that Mumbai Indians continue to uphold.
