MI vs LSG: Rohit Sharma ripped apart by Virender Sehwag after lacklustre show in IPL 2024
Published - 12 May 2024, 10:54 AM | Updated - 12 May 2024, 10:59 AM
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Former India opener Virender Sehwag expressed dissatisfaction with Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav's dismissals in the 60th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Virender Sehwag stated that the Mumbai Indians could have won the match if the two batters had not gifted their wickets.
The Hardik Pandya-led team suffered an 18-run loss to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on Saturday, May 11. The home team posted a total of 157/7 in the 16-over-a-side contest. Mumbai failed to chase down the target as they managed to score 139 runs for the loss of eight wickets.
Ishan Kishan scored a quick-fire 40 runs off 22 balls, including five boundaries and two sixes. However, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav failed to make an impact. Rohit struggled throughout his innings and scored just 19 runs off 24 deliveries. Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Rohit in the eighth over.
Suryakumar, who scored a match-winning century in the last match, scored 11 runs off 14 balls at a strike rate of 78.57. Skipper Hardik Pandya managed only two runs off four balls. Tilak Varma scored 32 runs off 17 balls with the help of five boundaries and one six but failed to help his team win.
Could've Finished The Match An Over Before - Virender Sehwag
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Virender Sehwag stated that had Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav not been dismissed, Mumbai could have secured victory. Sehwag mentioned that the two batters would've smashed the KKR pacers in the final overs.
“Whoever bowls good, just play him out. If two wickets hadn't fallen, Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav could've finished the match an over before. Vaibhav Arora, Mitchell Starc, Andre Russell and Harshit Rana had to ball anyway; if they played out the spinners and didn't lose the wickets, they would've won the game,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
Rohit Sharma has faced a decline in batting form after scoring a century against the Chennai Super Kings last month. The batter recorded scores of 6(5), 8(8), 5(4), 11(12), 4(5), and 19(24) in his last six innings. Overall, he has scored 349 runs in 13 matches at an average of 29.08 and a strike rate of 145.42.
Can't Have An Ego When You Come Out To Bat - Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag advised Rohit Sharma to put his ego aside while batting. The former Indian opener stated that Rohit and Surya should respect good deliveries and capitalize on loose ones. Sehwag mentioned that the two batters got out to good deliveries in the recent match.
"You can't have an ego when you come out to bat. You play them out or punish the loose deliveries. Naman Dhir came right at the end and smashed two sixes and a four; if Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were set at that time, they would've hit 5 balls for boundaries,” Sehwag said further.
“You could be Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar Yadav, but at least respect the delivery if you can't respect the bowler. The ball on which Rohit Sharma got out wasn't a weak ball. No doubt Rohit and Suryakumar are great players, but that doesn't mean you should hit the good deliveries, too,” he concluded.
