Amid the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026, a major update emerged regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL), specifically related to the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians (MI). Latest media claims suggest Rohit Sharma issued a warning to the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 season.
After the conclusion of the 2026 T20 World Cup, most of the Indian cricketers will be under preparation for the upcoming edition of the IPL. Rohit Sharma once again is all set to feature for the Mumbai Indians. But for which role will the former skipper take the field this season?
Rohit Sharma remains a central figure of the team
After a setback in the IPL 2025, the five-time IPL winners reformed their squad with some new additions, keeping some key members as the nucleus of the team. Rohit Sharma is among the players who were retained by the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction.
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Sharma, the former skipper, under whose leadership the Mumbai-based franchise lifted the IPL trophy five times, making them one of the best in the history of the league, played mainly as an impact player in the previous season.
The previous season for the Mumbai Indians was challenging from the beginning because of their inconsistency during the initial stage of the tournament. Though they managed to stretch their way to the playoffs, where they defeated the Punjab Kings before crashing out of the contest.
Rohit Sharma does not want to play as an impact player: Report
According to fresh reports from SportsYaari, Sharma has issued a warning to the MI franchise ahead of the new IPL season. He wished to play as a full-time player, not as an impact player. Last season, the opener was mostly used as an impact player for his proven batting credibility as an opener, but was replaced as soon as the team went to bowl. If the reports are to be believed, then the Mumbaikar wants to contribute like a regular player.
As soon as the reports emerged, Sharma’s possible decision started to be compared with other Team India legends like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, who used to play as regular players, not as impact players.
If the MI team management approves Sharma’s proposal, then he will be on the field with Hardik Pandya, the current skipper of the Mumbai Indians. Will the combination of the current captain and the former captain prove fruitful for the Mumbai Indians in the near future? A part of Indian cricket fans started to speculate on various aspects.
‘Hitman’s batting stats in IPL 2025
In the 2025 Indian Premier League, the experienced opener scored a total of 418 runs in 15 innings for a batting average of 29.85. His total runs were powered by four half-centuries. In this season, the right-handed batter smashed forty-one 4s and twenty-two 6s.
Meanwhile, his opening partner, South Africa international Ryan Rickelton, accumulated 388 runs in 14 innings.
| Rohit Sharma Stats | |||||||||||||
| Season | Team | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s |
| IPL 2025 | MI | 15 | 15 | 1 | 418 | 81 | 29.85 | 280 | 149.28 | 0 | 4 | 41 | 22 |
