Follow UsRohit Sharma walked into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Eliminator against Gujarat Titans (GT) with a dismal playoffs average of 15.05 — the fifth-worst among batters with 10-plus innings. But on May 30 (Friday) in Mullanpur, when the pressure peaked, the senior Mumbai Indians (MI) opener rose above the numbers and showed his class against one of the best bowling units of the season.
5, 24, 2, 0, 0, 13, 14, 8, 2, 2, 20, 19, 50, 1, 26, 24, 4, 15, 0, 68, 11, 8* — these were Rohit’s scores in his previous 22 IPL playoff innings. Just 316 runs at a strike rate of 107.5 — hardly the numbers you would associate with a batter who has been part of the IPL since its inception. Playoffs, historically, have never been Rohit’s stage.
The 38-year-old started this season poorly, managing only 82 runs in the first six games at an average of 13.67. A brief revival followed, with three half-centuries in four matches, but his form dipped again toward the end of the league stage — just 36 runs in the last three games. Few expected Rohit to top-score in the Eliminator. But he did — 81 off 50 deliveries.
England’s Jonny Bairstow, playing his first game of the season, got off to a fiery start in the powerplay, while Rohit looked scratchy early on. He was dropped twice in his first 10 balls — first by Gerald Coetzee at fine leg in the second over, and then by debutant Kusal Mendis behind the stumps in the very next over, both easy.
Bairstow raced to 39 off just 14 balls by the end of the fourth over, including a 26-run over off Prasidh Krishna. While Bairstow was timing the ball like a dream, Rohit struggled to connect cleanly. He managed three boundaries off Mohammed Siraj during this phase, but only looked settled after the final over of the powerplay.
With the seamers leaking 65 runs in the first five overs, GT captain Shubman Gill turned to left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore. Rohit immediately capitalised, using the sweep to collect two fours and a six toward the backward square leg region. He finally found his rhythm — and also understood he had to bat deep while others attacked.
In recent times, Rohit has often played short, explosive cameos, especially for India in white-ball cricket. But in this high-stakes game, he adapted brilliantly, pacing his innings with maturity and attacking at the right moments, particularly against spinners Rashid Khan and Kishore.
Rohit had previously been dismissed by Rashid four times in the IPL, averaging just 14 against him. Yet, he managed 21 off 12 against the Afghan legspinner tonight. Against the left-arm spinner, he smashed 27 off just 13 deliveries. Rohit operated at a strike rate of 180 against GT’s spinners — the highest by any MI batter.
While Bairstow (47 off 22), Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20), Tilak Varma (25 off 11) and Hardik Pandya (22 off 9) overall scored at a better strike rate than Rohit, it was the opener who neutralised GT’s spin threat in the middle overs.
He struck nine boundaries and four sixes during his stay at the crease. In the process, Rohit also became: the second batter to hit 300 sixes in the IPL (after Chris Gayle — 357), and only the second player to cross 7000 IPL runs, joining Virat Kohli
“I have only four fifties. Would have loved to score more. I understand the importance of playing this Eliminator and taking the next step forward. When I play the game, I try to do my best, keeping everything aside. I had to make the most of the luck,” Rohit said after being named Player of the Match.
“I am glad I could do that and get the team into a good position. Somewhere down the line, you’ve got to be lucky, and today was that day for me. But even after that, you’ve got to play. I focused on maintaining the momentum and tempo.”
Rohit eventually fell to Prasidh Krishna in the 17th over, but his 81 is now the highest score by any MI batter in a playoff game. Thanks to his knock and blazing cameos from others, MI piled up 228/5 in their 20 overs — a total they managed to defend, largely due to Jasprit Bumrah’s brilliance in the second innings.
It wasn’t Rohit’s most fluent or explosive knock, but it was one of his smartest. He read the game, picked his moments, and delivered when it counted. That clarity and composure are exactly what MI will need from him again, first in Qualifier 2 against Punjab Kings (PBKS), and potentially in the final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).