There seems to be no end to Rohit Sharma's nightmarish run with the bat in IPL 2025.
After an underwhelming spell at the international level, there were high hopes that Rohit, one of India's most accomplished white-ball batters, would rediscover his form in the IPL. But seven matches into the season, the slump continues unabated.
Having begun the season with a duck, Rohit's numbers have only marginally improved, with scores of 0, 8, 13, 17, 18 and 26.
In total, he has managed just 82 runs in six innings, a return that does little for his team.
Despite his poor form, Rohit has not ditched his aggressive approach with the bat.
Against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede, coming in as an Impact Player, he got going with an edged six off Mohammed Shami, followed by a clean pull for another six in the same over. He then took on SRH Skipper Pat Cummins, flicking a length ball over square leg for a third six.
Just when it looked like Rohit was finding his groove, he fell to a tame dismissal, mistiming a full toss straight to Travis Head at cover, walking off with visible disbelief. His knock of 26 from 16 balls, with three sixes, ended in the fourth over.
The pattern is hard to ignore, Rohit has been dismissed inside the Powerplay in all six innings this season. Since the start of IPL 2023, he has survived the Powerplay in only 12 of 36 innings.
Rohit, who led Mumbai Indians to a record five titles, was retained for a whopping Rs 16.30 crore (Rs 163 million) but given his prolonged poor form, questions are bound to arise over his future at MI.
Having already lost the captaincy to Hardik Pandya last season, Rohit now runs the risk of losing his place in the XI if he doesn't turn things around quickly.
If MI fail to qualify for the play-offs for a second season in succession, a transition phase seems inevitable, one that could see senior players like Rohit make way for a younger core.
Sunrisers' batting flops again
Sunrisers Hyderabad's power-packed batting line-up was touted as one of the most dangerous this season. But at the halfway stage, they have been among the biggest underperformers with the bat.
For a team packed with hitters, SRH have struggled to adjust to different conditions, particularly when up against quality bowling or slightly tricky pitches. They seem bereft of a Plan B, and the match against MI was another glaring example.
At the Wankhede, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen struggled against a sharp MI bowling unit that used clever variations in pace and length to great effect.
Kishan, once a fan favourite at MI, returned to his former home ground but could not capitalise.
Kishan, who was SRH's most costliest purchase at the auction at Rs 11.25 crore (Rs 112.5 million), has flattered to deceive since smashing a century (106 not out) on SRH debut against Rajasthan Royals
Since then, he has scored just 32 runs in six innings, falling for single-digit scores four times.
But Kishan isn't the only SRH batter misfiring.
The big-hitting Klaasen, who was retained for a record-breaking Rs 23 crore (Rs 230 million) for IPL 2025 -- the most expensive retained player in IPL history -- seems to be feeling the pressure of the huge price tag.
Last season, the South African had set the stage on fire with some blistering knocks, for a tally of 479 runs at a strike rate of 171, with four fifties. But in IPL 2025, so far he has made 210 runs in seven runs at a strike rate of 159, without a single fifty.
Abhishek Sharma, one of SRH's brightest young stars, did provide a spark with a blistering 141 off 55 balls against Punjab Kings. But outside of that knock and his 40 against MI, he has tallied just 51 runs in five other innings, a worrying inconsistency.
Nitish Kumar Reddy was one of the finds for SRH last season and even made a grand entry into the Indian Test team in Australia with a century at the MCG in December, while also playing some impactful knocks in T20 Internationals.
However, this season he has failed to make an impact with the bat this season.
Reddy has managed just 131 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 113, falling in the 30s thrice out of six innings.
It is no surprise that the below-par showing from their top batters has resulted in SRH struggling at ninth position in the standings at the halfway mark, with just two wins from seven matches.
Unless their top-order finds form quickly, their play-off hopes could be over well before the league stage ends.
As IPL 2025 enters a crucial phase, both Rohit and SRH's misfiring stars are running out of time and excuses.
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