Former KKR batter Manoj Tiwary criticized Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma for his inconsistency in the IPL after MI’s 36-run loss to Gujarat Titans on March 29. Rohit was dismissed for just eight runs, following a failure to score in MI’s season opener against Chennai Super Kings. Despite his strong record with India, Rohit has struggled in recent IPL seasons, surpassing 400 runs only twice in the last eight editions.
Commenting on Rohit’s poor performance against GT in an interview with Cricbuzz, Tiwary shared his thoughts (via Hindustan Times).
“It’s about time Rohit Sharma made a strong return to form. A player of his caliber shouldn’t just be scoring 400 runs in a season. Sure, last season he managed 400 and even a century, but where’s the 800-900 run season? Rohit has yet to deliver such consistent, big seasons. Compare that to Virat Kohli, who always finds a way to score. The ability is there, but Rohit needs a season where he crosses 600 or 700 runs.”
“He should be aiming for the orange cap if he’s to perform at his best. Expectations are high, which is why he was retained despite last year’s rumors and controversy. However, after failing to score in recent matches, the atmosphere has likely been impacted.”
Virender Sehwag agreed with Manoj Tiwary’s concerns, questioning Rohit Sharma’s lack of standout IPL seasons. Despite being the third-highest run-scorer in IPL history with 6,636 runs from 259 matches, Rohit averages under 30 and has only one season with over 500 runs, never reaching 600 runs in his 17-year career.
“Manoj Tiwary’s comments about Rohit Sharma are valid. Where is that breakthrough season with 600-700 runs? It seems like it’s long overdue. We’re fans of his too, but we can’t help but ask where that big season is. If he hasn’t done it in 18 years, how realistic is it to expect that now, especially when he’s nearing the final stage of his career?” said Sehwag.
