Former West Indies cricketer Daren Ganga has weighed in on Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma’s lean patch in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Ganga advised Rohit Sharma to take a break after the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will be played against Australia at the Oval on June 7, to prepare for the upcoming ODI World Cup at home.
Rohit Sharma has struggled to make an impact this season, scoring only 191 runs in 11 innings with an average of 17.36 and a moderate strike rate of 124.84. He scored only 12 runs across his last five innings. However, Ganga believes that Rohit is a quality player and has gone through a similar situation before. He cited Virat Kohli’s lean patch and how he took a break before regaining his form with a century against Afghanistan in the Asia Cup 2022.
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Ganga agreed with Sunil Gavaskar’s opinion and said that the break would keep Rohit Sharma fresh for the WTC final. The former Windies captain feels that Suryakumar Yadav could lead the side, as he did in a couple of matches this season when Rohit played as an impact player. According to Ganga, “You have heard Sunil Gavaskar recommend that he take a break, freshen his mind before the World Test Championship – that might be a good option for him.”
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The Mumbai Indians are currently in third place in the points table in the IPL 2023, winning six matches and losing five. They need to win at least two of their remaining three games against the Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Super Giants, and Sunrisers Hyderabad to qualify for the playoffs.
In conclusion, Ganga’s advice to Rohit Sharma comes at a crucial juncture in his career, where he needs to regain his form before the upcoming ODI World Cup. Taking a break to freshen up could help him achieve that, and it’s a strategy that has worked for other great players in the past. With the Mumbai Indians vying for a spot in the playoffs, they will need their captain to fire on all cylinders, and a rejuvenated Rohit Sharma could be just the tonic they need.
