Michael Vaughan Questions Rohit Sharma's IPL Form and Captaincy
Michael Vaughan Questions Rohit Sharma's IPL Form and Captaincy
Michael Vaughan critiques Rohit Sharma's IPL form and questions his captaincy role with Mumbai Indians following a series of low scores.
Michael Vaughan, former England cricketer, has raised concerns about the ongoing performance of Mumbai Indians (MI) captain and star batter, Rohit Sharma, in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Vaughan believes that if not for Sharma's long-standing IPL legacy, he might not have retained his spot in the team.
Vaughan noted that while Sharma’s leadership skills are unquestionable, his recent performances with the bat have fallen short of expectations. He pointed out that despite the MI's recent victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where MI triumphed by eight wickets, Sharma once again failed to make a significant impact, scoring just 13 runs before being dismissed.
Vaughan emphasized that when analyzed purely as a batsman, Sharma’s numbers in the IPL over the past few seasons are concerning. He remarked that if any other player had posted such average statistics, they would likely have faced the prospect of being dropped from the squad.
In his conversation with Cricbuzz, Vaughan said, "Rohit Sharma’s recent form doesn't justify his place in the team. For someone of his caliber, average numbers are simply not acceptable. If his name were not Rohit Sharma, he could well have been dropped by now.”
In addition to critiquing Sharma's batting form, Vaughan expressed surprise over his lack of captaincy duties at MI, given his successful track record as the captain of India’s ODI and Test teams. Hardik Pandya has taken over the leadership role at MI, a decision Vaughan found difficult to understand.
He questioned why a player who excels in leading at the international level would not be considered the right choice to captain a franchise team like Mumbai Indians. Vaughan’s remarks indicate confusion over the franchise's decision to strip Sharma of the captaincy, especially considering his leadership pedigree.
Rohit Sharma's IPL 2025 campaign has been marred by inconsistent batting performances. In MI's season opener against Chennai Super Kings, he was dismissed for a duck after facing just four balls. The struggles continued in the second match against Gujarat Titans, where he could only manage eight runs off four balls.
Most recently, during MI's win over KKR, Sharma's brief innings ended with only 13 runs. These repeated failures have sparked debate among fans and experts about whether Sharma's time as a top-order batter for MI is nearing its end.
