In the 69th match of the Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Mumbai Indians (MI) on May 26, Virender Sehwag made a light joke about Rohit Sharma.
Rohit was not getting the opportunity to face many balls early on, as Aakash Chopra pointed out. Sehwag, famous for his sharp tongue, said this might actually help him stay longer in the game, taking a dig at his powerplay struggles in IPL 2025.
IPL 2025 has been a mixed bag for Rohit Sharma. The former MI captain has scored three fifties, but has also been dismissed nine times in the powerplay this season.
Also read: IPL 2025: Virender Sehwag Slams Rahane and KKR Management, Cites Pant and LSG as Examples
Virender Sehwag Highlights Rohit Sharma’s Powerplay Struggles with a Subtle Joke
Sehwag, who was part of the Hindi commentary team, opined that Rohit's limited strike during the first four overs of the innings might be beneficial for him, as facing more deliveries in the powerplay has often led to his dismissal in IPL 2025.
"Acha hai. Is bahane woh powerplay ke baad tak tikke rahenge. Warna, powerplay mein jitni zyada gendein woh khelte hai, utne zyada chances ho jaate hai unke out hone ke. [It's good. This way, he would still be at the crease after the powerplay. Otherwise, the more balls he faces in the powerplay, the more chances are there of him getting out]," Sehwag said as quoted on commentary.
While Sehwag’s comments ended up being partly true as Rohit survived the powerplay, it did not help MI’s cause one bit as his slow innings on a batting-friendly surface in Jaipur pushed his team back.
Rohit scored a painstaking 24 runs off 21 balls before being dismissed by Punjab’s spinner Harpreet Brar in the 10th over. Despite his slow start, Mumbai Indians finished their innings at 184 runs for the loss of seven wickets.Â
Mumbai Indians to Play Eliminator
After losing to Punjab Kings, Mumbai Indians will feature in the Eliminator. They had a chance to finish in top-two and play Qualifier 1 but they ended up giving it away to PBKS, who will now have two shots at reaching the final.
The IPL 2025 playoffs will begin on May 29 in Chandigarh with Qualifier 1. Eliminator is scheduled on May 30 in Chandigarh. Qualifier 2 and the final is slated for June 1 and June 3 respectively in Ahmedabad.
Also read: IPL 2025: Watch - Rohit Sharma Imitates Shreyas Iyer After Punjab's Win Over Mumbai
