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Rohit candidly opened up on the practical side of the move, highlighting how it allows him to be as ‘impactful’ with the bat as he could be.
Rohit Sharma (Picture credit: AP)
Rohit Sharma’s usage as an ‘Impact Substitute’ by the Mumbai Indians since the start of IPL 2025 has created quite a stir. Yet, Rohit himself cleared the air about the same, as he expounded on the reasons behind the move.
Rohit, now 37, is being used rather cautiously by the franchise, with the management deciding to preserve his energy and focus on just his batting, as they bring in him only when MI are batting.
With Hardik Pandya leading the side, and with the likes of veterans such as Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah at his disposal, the Mumbai Indians have cracked a way to keep the well-oiled machine running, notching a five-game winning streak to offset their dismal start to the season.
When asked about the reasoning behind his delegation to the Impact Sub, Rohit candidly opened up on the practical side of the move, highlighting how it allows him to be as ‘impactful’ with the bat as he could be.
“You talked about making an impact, didn’t you? Well, I am literally the Impact Sub now, so that’s what my job entails,” Rohit stated jovially in his interview with veteran sports journalist Vimal Kumar.
‘Look, like I said before, I am not worried about scoring runs. I just want to win matches. That’s where all my energy goes,” Rohit added.
“I only think about how and what I can contribute to my team in the moment of need.”
Rohit also went on to expound about what he stated is a certain ideology or core belief that MI functions on: prioritising timely performances in efficient manners over individual accolades.
“Now, if you look at our history here at MI, you will find out that we never had any Orange Cap holders during the seasons we won the IPL. So, there is a certain ideology behind that,” Rohit stated.
Yet another change that Rohit endured earlier was the shifting of captaincy, as the talisman batter handed over the reins to Hardik Pandya last year, a move that was met with quite some criticism and backlash.
Rohit though reinstated the need for change and his undying belief in the team to redisc”over themselves and rise to the top again.
“There’s been no real change or hiccup. I just don’t need to be the captain anymore, that’s all. I just focus on my role as a batter.
“I always valued my role as a batter first, even when I was captain. And now, since that’s my only role, I focus all my energy on the same and do what I can to help my team,” Rohit stated about his role in the team currently.
“See, it’s no secret that we haven’t had the best of seasons in the IPL over the past 2-3 years. So, we had a lot of internal talks to figure out what we could improve on, what can be changed, and we followed through on them.
“I believe that we are headed in the right direction and that we will continue to achieve more and more success,” Rohit claimed.
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