FEATURES
Follow UsHeading into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, Rohit Sharma had an aura about him. He was no longer the captain of the dynasty he created; he was no longer the main player, yet the focus was always going to be on him.
Rohit was still India’s captain. He was still one of the biggest selling points in Indian cricket, but even then, there was this sense of feeling that his IPL display would be closely followed. It was evident in how he walked out to bat on every occasion; you could see it in his eyes.
13 innings into this year’s IPL, Rohit’s record stands at 349 runs @ 29.08 and SR of 145.4. It isn’t too great a record, considering the average runs scored by openers this year has been 334 (min seven innings).
His average is lower than the median (34), and his strike rate isn't comparable to the season average for openers (155).
The Good
Astonishingly enough, almost 30% of Rohit's runs in this year’s IPL have come in one innings, a 105 against the five-time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings. That’s one of the best parts about Rohit’s 2024 IPL season.
If you look at that innings, Rohit was at his aggressive best, scoring 42 off 25 balls in the powerplay. But later on, he slowed down with just eight off the next five balls, getting to his half-century. His next fifty came off 31 deliveries, considerably slowing down to complete his second IPL century.
Why is that good, you might ask?
Since Rohit wasn’t converting any of these starts not too long ago, his century against the Super Kings was monumental in the larger scheme of things. It also showed that Rohit wasn’t just a one-trick pony; with him smashing in the powerplay, he had the dog in him to convert that start into a three-figure score.
Not to forget, Rohit has a strike rate of 157.1 in the powerplay at the Wankhede Stadium and has only been dismissed thrice, with 20 boundaries. Amongst all the MI batters in the competition, only Suryakumar Yadav (210) has scored more runs, showing why he’s still valuable.
The Bad
Outside the true batting surface at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit has batted in seven venues, and only at one venue—Hyderabad—does he have a strike rate of over 150. If you look microscopically, he has four scores with a strike rate of under 120, an impediment to his struggle in sluggish conditions.
The 37-year-old averages only 20.2 away compared to 41.4 at home. In those seven games, the Indian opener has been dismissed thrice within the first ten balls of the innings.
Impactful, at least?
(Lack) of Attack
Had Rohit been ultra-aggressive or attacking, no one would have addressed concerns around that average. But the issue is Rohit’s attacking instincts this year have been curbed largely. Let’s break it down into two phases - powerplay and overall.
In the first six-over phase, the Mumbai opener has only attacked 49.4% of the deliveries, with the league average hovering at 59.6% for an opener. That is a concern. Overall, the right-handed batter has only attacked 53.8%, with the league average for an opener being 61.8%.
The Ugly
Game against spin
Rohit has continually struggled against spinners over the years. Historically, Rohit has the tenth-worst strike rate for any opener in the history of IPL (127.1). But this isn’t about Rohit’s struggles over the years but about what he has done this year.
In this IPL (min 30 balls for openers), only KL Rahul has a lower strike rate against spin (121) than Rohit’s 123.2. Not just that, the 37-year-old has also massively struggled to keep hold of his wicket, averaging 17, the lowest in the competition against spin for any opener.
It is quite worrisome for someone known to have quite an attacking presence against the tweakers in international cricket. His game against spin is also reflected by his poor rotation between the wickets, with a dot-ball percentage of 42, the highest for any opener in this IPL.
Any pattern of dismissal there?
Sweep shots.
One of Rohit’s high-scoring avenues has ultimately come to bite his backside in this year’s tournament. The Mumbaikar has attempted 17 sweeps in the tournament, the second-most for any opener, only behind Virat Kohli.
But the result hasn’t been quite happy, with three dismissals for the former MI skipper. It isn’t just that he has only been able to convert five of those balls to boundaries, showing how his high-scoring shot has come at a huge cost.
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