Should MI replace Rohit Sharma in Playing XI for a stronger top-order?

Five-time champions, Mumbai Indians (MI) are currently positioned in a tricky situation as their former captain and batting stalwart, Rohit Sharma, continues to struggle with the bat. Once a feared opener in the IPL, Rohit's form has been disappointing since the last few editions now, triggering questions about his place in the playing XI. 

The 37-year-old's struggles are not limited to just the cash-rich league. His dip in form started with the home season, where he failed to deliver against Bangladesh and New Zealand. The Nagpur-born's attempts to revive his batting at the middle-order in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy also failed. In the three Test matches he played, he could only manage one double-digit score (10), as he finished with just 31 runs under his belt.

Things got so bad that he dropped himself from India's playing XI in the Sydney Test due to a prolonged run of failures. Even a return to domestic cricket, where he played a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai, did not help. He was dismissed for just three runs in 19 balls against Jammu and Kashmir.

Rohit Sharma's forgettable start to IPL 2025

His start to IPL 2025 has been poor. In the Mumbai Indians' seasoned opener against Chennai Super Kings, he registered a duck, falling to Khaleel Ahmed. Things did not improve in the next match against the Gujarat Titans. He started by hitting a couple of boundaries off Mohammed Siraj but was soon undone by a delivery that came back sharply. The right-handed batter lasted just four balls and walked back, adding eight runs in their chase of 197.

Meanwhile, with IPL becoming more high-scoring and batting-friendly, every team needs its top order to fire. However, the veteran batter's failures are putting MI on the back foot. The franchise may have to decide whether it can afford to keep continuing with an out-of-form opener when alternatives are available. Notably, MI dropped English all-rounder Will Jacks for their match against Gujarat. Jack, who had an incredible debut IPL season with RCB, was picked by MI for INR 5.25 crore in the mega-auction. He was seen as a potential opening partner for Rohit, but Ryan Rickelton has been preferred instead.

But who will replace Rohit?

However, Jacks could be the answer to MI’s top-order struggles. With his ability to provide solid starts and a strike rate of 175 in IPL 2024, he could be the aggressive opener MI desperately needs. While Rohit is a franchise legend and a great leader, his current form is a liability. If MI wants to remain in the hunt for a title in IPL 2025, they must consider bringing in Jacks in place of Rohit to provide the firepower at the top.

Also Read: Should CSK replace MS Dhoni in Playing XI for a stronger middle-order?