Virender Sehwag shoots down Rohit Sharma with a burning jibe

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary criticized Mumbai Indians (MI) opener Rohit Sharma for his inconsistent performances in the IPL. Tiwary questioned why the Mumbai Indians star has not had a high-scoring season similar to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli in the T20 tournament.

Mumbai Indians, led by Hardik Pandya, suffered their second consecutive defeat in IPL 2025. They lost the match by 36 runs against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on March 29. Chasing a challenging target of 197, Rohit Sharma departed early for just eight runs after being dismissed by Mohammed Siraj.

But Where Is the 800-900 Season? - Manoj Tiwary

Manoj Tiwary expressed disappointment over Rohit’s inconsistency in the IPL. Tiwary added that he should be delivering bigger seasons.

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"Look, I'm telling you, I don't want to be tough, but I must be. For some players, you have to be. Look, it's high time Rohit Sharma got back among the runs. The ability of a player like Rohit Sharma is not 400. Last season, he scored 400, he hit a century, that's fine. But where is the 800-900 season? Rohit is just not able to have these types of seasons. Why does Virat Kohli always score? You tell me. It's equally good. It's equally good, but there should be a season where Rohit scores 600-700," Manoj Tiwary told Cricbuzz.

Rohit Sharma Fails to Make an Impact in the First Two Matches of IPL 2025

Rohit failed to make an impact in the Mumbai Indians’ first two matches of the 2025 season. He was dismissed for a duck in the opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The right-handed batter has struggled to produce big runs in the IPL, surpassing 400 runs in a season only twice in the last eight editions.

Mumbai Indians have missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. The franchise has also dealt with captaincy drama, as Hardik Pandya replaced Rohit as Mumbai skipper ahead of last season, a move that led to widespread criticism and boos from fans across venues, including their home ground in Mumbai.

It Has Not Happened in 18 Years - Virender Sehwag

Former India opener Virender Sehwag also shared his thoughts on Rohit’s IPL performances. Sehwag questioned whether the Mumbai Indians batter could still deliver a 600-700 run season. He pointed out that Rohit has never produced a high-scoring season in 18 years of IPL cricket.

"What Manoj Tiwary said about Rohit Sharma, where is that season? Isn't it too late for this type of season to come (laughs)? We are also his fans, but we are just asking where the season of 600-700 runs is. When has Rohit Sharma done that? It has been 18 years when it has not happened in 18 years, how can you hope for this to happen now when he is at the last part of his career?" asked Sehwag.

Rohit Sharma is the third-highest run-scorer in IPL history with 6,636 runs in 259 matches. However, he has averaged below 30 with a strike rate of 131.09. He has managed to cross the 500-run mark only once and has never recorded a 600-run season.

Following their defeat to the Gujarat Titans, the Mumbai Indians have dropped to ninth place in the points table. The team will aim to secure their first win of IPL 2025 and avoid a third consecutive loss when they face defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on March 31.

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