Just one win in five matches and Mumbai Indians have been sharing the bottom place with fellow five-time champions Chennai Super Kings. MI are on a two-match losing streak, and despite captain Hardik Pandya doing everything he could, the team hasn’t found a win. Now, MI face an unbeaten Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025 Match No 28 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Axar Patel-led DC are on a four-match winning streak with everything going their way. But for Mumbai, the only aspect that has not been working is former skipper Rohit Sharma. Now, will they take the brave call and drop him from the MI Playing XI vs DC?
With 38 runs in four innings, Rohit Sharma is averaging 9.50. So far, he has only been able to play 29 deliveries, getting out in the powerplay every innings. That creates additional pressure on Tilak Verma, Suryakumar Yadav and Ryan Rickleton to do the bulk of the scoring. And that has not worked out well. Add Rohit’s weakness against Mitchell Starc’s left-arm seam, and the Indian captain would seem like a walking wicket in the DC vs MI clash.
Rohit Sharma in IPL 2025
| Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 0 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 38 | 17 | 9.50 | 29 | 131.03 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
Rohit is struggling, not just with the bat, but also with his knee. He has already missed a match and has been practising with a heavy strapping. In this situation, Mumbai Indians should look to rest Rohit and open with Suryakumar Yadav. Tilak Verma can also do a great job if he gets the chance to open with Rickleton.
Straight out of a
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 11, 2025movie#MumbaiIndians #PlayLikeMumbai #TATAIPL #DCvMI pic.twitter.com/Tv7j3ILf9v
Expect run fest
Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium gave us a glimpse of what’s to expect last season. The shorter boundaries and excellent batting pitch make it a high-scoring contest. To return to winning ways, MI should leverage that and get an in-form opener instead of Rohit. Will Jacks could be another option. The Englishman has opened the innings in 156 innings, scoring 4338 runs with a strike rate of 157.63. He also has three centuries and 31 fifties.
If Rohit is dropped, MI can get an extra batter as an Impact player in place of Trent Boult or Jasprit Bumrah. Corbin Bosch could be an option in the middle order.
Bowling changes
With Jasprit Bumrah back, MI have the last piece of the puzzle. While Bumrah did not get any wickets against RCB, he bowled at an economy rate of 7.20, the least among all MI bowlers.
If the Arun Jaitley Stadium pitch aids seamers, Ashwani Kumar could come in, or they can go with Vignesh Puthur. Both Ashwani and Vignesh have bowled excellent spells in their debut season for MI.
Predicted MI Playing XI
- Rohit Sharma
- Ryan Rickelton (wk)
- Will Jacks
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Hardik Pandya (c)
- Naman Dhir
- Mitchell Santner
- Deepak Chahar
- Trent Boult
- Jasprit Bumrah
Impact Player Options: Robin Minz, Karn Sharma, Reece Topley, Bevon Jacobs, Corbin Bosch
MI’s Strategy vs DC
- Batting First: MI will aim for 190-200, relying on Rohit and Suryakumar to set a platform and Pandya-Tilak to finish strong. The Arun Jaitley’s history of 200-plus totals (12 in 28 games since 2023) supports an aggressive approach.
- Bowling First: Early wickets are crucial to curb DC’s explosive openers, Fraser-McGurk and Faf. Bumrah and Chahar will target the powerplay, while Santner could stifle DC’s middle order, which relies heavily on Stubbs and Rahul.
Key Battles to Watch
- Rohit Sharma vs. Mitchell Starc: Rohit’s aggressive starts will face Starc’s fiery new-ball spells.
- Suryakumar Yadav vs. Kuldeep Yadav: A classic batter-spinner duel, with Suryakumar’s wristy shots against Kuldeep’s variations.
- Jasprit Bumrah vs. Jake Fraser-McGurk: Bumrah’s pace could test the young Aussie’s audacious strokeplay.
