“If your name is not Rohit Sharma, you're probably losing your place” - Michael Vaughan on MI opener’s poor IPL form

Former England captain and commentator Michael Vaughan has opened up on Mumbai Indians opening batter Rohit Sharma’s form in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. 0, 8, and 13 are Rohit’s scores in three games of the ongoing season.

Interestingly, Mumbai Indians aren’t using his experience on the field as well as he is playing as an Impact Substitute, which didn’t go well with Vaughan. The former England cricketer questioned the franchise on why Rohit isn’t captaining the side when he boasts an exceptional record as an Indian captain.

"I always scratch my head with Rohit Sharma in Mumbai. I always think, if he's good enough to be the Indian captain, how is he not captain in Mumbai? I can always say that because I just don't get it. He's a wonderful captain for India. He's done a great job," Vaughan said to Cricbuzz.

"You'll have to look at what's happened in the last couple of years with the white ball scene. Now, if he's deemed the best person to captain the national side, how can he not be the best person to captain the franchise team? He's going to play the whole season. I'm probably stirring up another pot from last year," he added.

With only 21 runs from three innings this season, Vaughan stated that these numbers aren’t good enough for a player of his stature. He further added that Rohit needs to score runs to be a part of the playing XI in the upcoming games.

"You look at his numbers, you've got to remember, we're judging Rohit just as a batter now, because he's not the captain. Now, I think you can get away with average numbers, and they're average numbers. If your name's not Rohit Sharma, you're probably losing your place in the side at some stage with those numbers. They're not good enough for a player like Rohit Sharma," Vaughan stated.

"But if he's the captain as well, and he's adding his knowledge of being a leader, the culture creator that he is, tactician that he is, and I see it on a regular basis with India, and I've seen it with Mumbai in the past, I cannot cope with those numbers. But when you're just the batter now, that's how we have to judge Rohit Sharma because he isn't the captain. He needs runs," he concluded. 

Mumbai Indians suffered two consecutive losses against CSK and GT to start off their season on a worrying note. However, they made a strong comeback in their first home game of the season, bagging an eight-wicket win against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders.

Led by Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians will next take on the table toppers Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Monday, April 7, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!