Mumbaikars couldn’t have asked for a better start, as Mumbai Indians broke a few records in the ongoing IPL 2026 season. Their win against Kolkata Knight Riders marked the end of a long-standing drought, as they won their opening game of the season for the first time since 2012.
At the centre of the spotlight stands Rohit Sharma, former MI captain from 2013-23, who played a crucial innings, scoring 78 off just 38 balls. With 6 sixes and 6 fours along the way, it felt like the Hitman never left Wankhede. This time, a much fitter and sharper Rohit proved that class remains, despite turning 39 at the end of this April.
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‘He had a plan, vision’
The transformation in Rohit has certainly caught the eye, with many raising eyebrows about his preparations leading into this IPL campaign. MI Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene shed light on the approach adopted by Rohit.
“Well, I think credit to him. He had a plan, vision. A few of our guys who are in our setup was involved in this training that he wanted to do to get to a fitness level that he was comfortable with, he knew that he needed to do,” said Jayawardene.
“Even though he hasn’t played competitive cricket, he did quite a bit of skill work off-season whenever he had the time. And then he joined us on our day one camp, and we had a chat about how we wanted to start. We did a lot of simulations. We had quite a few practice matches that we played. So he was part of all that,” he added.
Rohit, now a single-format player for India, last featured in a 3-match ODI series against New Zealand at the start of 2026, managed just 61 runs. Despite the lack of form and competitive games under his belt post NZ, Hitman’s muscle memory and bat speed, especially for that trademark pull shot, remain unquestionable.
“For someone who has played the game for such a long time, it’s in muscle memory, it’s in how you wanted to go about and. They will react much better out there in the middle in situations, and even though he didn’t have competitive cricket behind him. I knew when I watched him batting in the nets that he was in pretty good nick,” remarked Jayawardene.
“The hand speed was pretty good and how we wanted to approach and it was a good start for him, in the first game, and hopefully he can continue that. I feel it’s been tough, the tournament, but, uh, he’s focused, he’s relaxed, um, you know, he’s contributing in a very positive way in the camps, which is great for us,” he further added.
As MI now face Delhi Capitals next, Rohit must be keen to carry this momentum forward. This transformation could indeed turn out to be the biggest positive to the start of this campaign for MI.
