'Rohit Sharma is good enough to be part of Indian T20I team': MS Dhoni’s ex-teammate's big remark

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath praised Rohit Sharma ahead of the highly anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that the 38-year-old batter remains good enough to represent the India national cricket team in T20I matches.

Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is after leading the India cricket team to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 title. The Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise management replaced Rohit Sharma with Hardik Pandya as their captain ahead of IPL 2024. Hardik guided the team to Qualifier 2 in 2025 after finishing at the bottom in the 2024 edition.

Rohit Sharma Is Still Good Enough for India’s T20I Side - Subramaniam Badrinath

During IPL 2025, Rohit Sharma scored 418 runs in 15 matches for Mumbai Indians. Now, the experienced Indian opener is set to open alongside Quinton de Kock. Mumbai Indians secured the South African wicketkeeper at the recent auction for a bargain price of ₹1 crore.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Subramaniam Badrinath said that rival franchises allowed Mumbai Indians to acquire de Kock so cheaply. He added that this opening partnership could intimidate opposing bowling attacks in the tournament.

"He's still good enough to be part of the Indian T20I side. His opening partnership with Quinton de Kock is scary. How did the other owners allow MI to buy De Kock? It's an amazing buy for MI," Badrinath said.

I’ll Keep Tilak Varma at No. 3 - Subramaniam Badrinath Snubs Suryakumar Yadav

Subramaniam Badrinath spoke about the batting order for Mumbai Indians. Badrinath urged the franchise management to play Tilak Varma at the number three position, despite the young batter’s success lower down the order for the India team in recent times.

Badrinath advised MI against heavily altering their core middle order featuring Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya. He added that promoting Suryakumar Yadav to number three would create uncertainty around the number four position.

"Tilak did very well for India at No.5 and 6 in the T20 World Cup. But if he continues there, who'll come at No.3 for MI? It probably means Suryakumar Yadav has to bat at No.3, which leaves a question mark for No.4. That's why I'll keep Tilak Varma at No.3. Down the order, MI have plenty of options with Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, and Will Jacks,"

The Indian Team Made Tilak Varma Bat Lower Down the Order - Subramaniam Badrinath

Tilak Varma constantly moved up and down the Mumbai Indians batting order during the previous season. Subramaniam Badrinath called for consistency from the Mumbai Indians coaching staff, suggesting a stable batting order featuring Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya.

"The Indian team made Tilak Varma bat lower down the order because of Rinku Singh's absence. But for MI, I'll have Tilak at 3, Surya at 4, and Hardik at 6. And I won't disturb this order."

Mumbai Indians will commence their IPL 2026 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The opening clash will take place in Mumbai on March 29, where Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock will look to build a strong opening partnership.

Also read: Pat Cummins joins SRH ahead of IPL 2026, but Ishan Kishan remains captain