Rohit Sharma aims to bring 'IPL glory back to MI'
What's the story
Rohit Sharma, despite no longer leading Mumbai Indians, is focused on steering his side to a record-breaking sixth Indian Premier League (IPL) title.
The veteran cricketer has stated his immediate objective as "to win the IPL trophy and bring the glory back to Mumbai Indians."
Under Hardik Pandya's captaincy, MI ended at the bottom of the table with just four wins in 14 league games last season.
Season performance
MI's slow start in IPL 2025
In the ongoing IPL 2025 season, Mumbai Indians have had a sluggish start, winning just one out of their first three matches. Their only win came against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
Sitting fifth in the standings, MI will be looking to improve their position in the upcoming matches.
With two points, they have a Net Run Rate of +0.309.
Tournament hurdles
Rohit emphasizes the challenges of IPL
Rohit had earlier detailed the difficulties of winning the IPL, saying, "You need to win 17 games—it's almost half a year's worth of T20 matches, but played in just two months."
He added that there are a "few boxes to tick" before winning the trophy.
Despite these challenges, Rohit is hopeful of his side's chances this season with their thrilling young guns.
Role evolution
Rohit reflects on his evolving role in MI
Reflecting on his changing role in Mumbai Indians, Rohit said, "Since I started, things have obviously changed. I used to bat in the middle order; now, I open the innings. I was the captain; now I'm not."
He added some players from their championship-winning seasons are now coaching them.
However, Rohit's mindset hasn't changed: "What I want to do for this team has not changed, and that is to go out there and win games and trophies."
Legacy
MI have won five IPL titles
MI have won as many as five IPL titles, all under Rohit's leadership (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020). They have the joint-most IPL trophies along with Chennai Super Kings.
However, the MI team management replaced Rohit as captain with Hardik Pandya for the 2024 season. The latter returned to the franchise following a record trade deal.
In the ongoing season, MI have used Rohit as an Impact Player. He has scored 0, 8, and 13 so far.