Mumbai Indians or Hardik Pandya? Who made Rohit Sharma Impact Player finally revealed
Published - 22 Jul 2025, 12:55 PM | Updated - 22 Jul 2025, 12:57 PM
Former Team India leg-spinner Karn Sharma has opened up about Rohit Sharma playing as an Impact Player for Mumbai Indians (MI) during the IPL 2025 season. Karn stated that the decision to play Rohit as an Impact Player was made by the Mumbai Indians team management, not skipper Hardik Pandya.
Rohit missed just one match for the Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2025 season. He began the campaign as an Impact Player against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), then took the field as a regular player in the match against Gujarat Titans (GT). However, he played as a specialist batter for the rest of the season.
Karn Sharma Reveals Who Made Rohit Sharma an Impact Player in IPL 2025
Karn Sharma, who played for the Mumbai Indians, revealed the reason behind Rohit Sharma playing as an Impact Player during IPL 2025. The spinner said that the decision was made by the team management. He also pointed out that Rohit fielded for a few overs and contributed with his tactical insights.
"First of all, it was the management’s decision. I mean, it was everyone’s decision. But who would have been impacted? Because half of our players are all-rounders. So, you can’t take an all-rounder out," Karn said.
"I think it was the management’s call. And whenever he has played, in many matches he has fielded for 6–7 overs, sometimes 8–10 overs. So, whatever impact has come, it has usually been after the first powerplay or after 10 overs. So even if he stays out, his inputs are still beneficial for everyone," he added.
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Rohit Sharma’s IPL 2025 Performance and Role
Rohit Sharma played 15 matches for the Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. The right-handed batter scored 418 runs at an average of nearly 30 and a strike rate of 149.28. He registered four half-centuries, with a highest score of 81.
Despite being used as an Impact Player in several games, Rohit fielded for 9-10 overs and remained actively involved in the team's on-field strategies. He went out of the field during the power play or after the 10-over mark.
Mumbai Indians advanced to the playoffs but were eliminated in the second qualifier. The Hardik Pandya-led team lost to Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their last match.
Rohit Sharma Is India’s Fourth-Highest Run-Scorer Across Formats
Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is after leading India to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He played 159 matches in the format, scoring 4,231 runs at an average of 32.05 and a strike rate of 140.89, including five centuries and 32 fifties.
The veteran opener also stepped away from Test cricket in May 2025, ending a red-ball career with 4,301 runs from 67 matches at an average of 40.57, including 30 scores of fifty or more.
He now plays only ODIs, where he has featured in 273 matches, scoring 11,168 runs at an average of 48.76. He has smashed 32 hundreds and 58 fifties in the format.
Overall, Rohit has played 499 international games, amassing 19,700 runs at an average of 42.18. He is India’s fourth-highest run-getter in international cricket, behind Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Rahul Dravid.
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Sai Vaitla is an author at Cricketaddictor and he has been working since September 2022. Sai Vaitla... Read more
