Rohit Sharma, a legendary figure in limited-overs cricket, has surprisingly struggled to replicate his international success in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite leading the Mumbai Indians to a record five titles, his individual batting performance has been underwhelming, particularly in recent seasons.
Overall, Rohit has amassed 6526 runs in 248 IPL innings, with an average of 29.8 and a strike rate of 131.2. These numbers place him outside the top 10 in batting average among Indian players with a minimum of 2000 IPL runs. His strike rate is also below the top 15.
In comparison to other top-order Indian batters, Rohit’s numbers fall short. Virat Kohli boasts an average of 38.4 and a strike rate of 131, Shikhar Dhawan averages 35.3 with a strike rate of 127, KL Rahul averages 46.2 with a strike rate of 135, Shubman Gill averages 37.5 with a strike rate of 134.8, and Suresh Raina averages 32.5 with a strike rate of 136.7.
Rohit has only once surpassed 500 runs in a single IPL season, in 2013, when he played a pivotal role in Mumbai Indians’ maiden title victory. In contrast, Kohli and David Warner have breached the 500-run mark seven times each, while Rahul and Dhawan have achieved it five times each.
Rohit has also managed just two centuries in the IPL, despite his impressive international record, which includes three double-centuries in ODIs and the joint-most tons in T20Is.
In only two seasons has Rohit scored over 400 runs with a strike rate of 140 or higher. He scored 404 runs with a strike rate of 148 for the Deccan Chargers in 2008 and 482 runs with a strike rate of 144.7 for the Mumbai Indians in 2015, leading them to their second title.
However, in a majority of his IPL seasons, Rohit’s aggregate has been below 400 runs, and his strike rate has been below 130. In nine seasons, he has failed to cross 400 runs, and in seven seasons, he has fallen short of 400 runs with a strike rate under 130.
While most top Indian batters have had at least one standout season in the IPL, Rohit has yet to experience such a breakthrough. Kohli’s record-breaking 973 runs at a strike rate of 152 in 2016 stands out, as does Rahul’s 659 runs at a rate of 158 in 2018 and Rishabh Pant’s 684 runs at a strike rate of 174 in the same season. Dhawan’s 618 runs at a strike rate of 145 in 2020 and Shubman Gill’s 890 runs at a strike rate of 158 in 2023 are further examples.
Rohit’s IPL numbers have declined significantly since 2017. His average has dropped from 33.7 to 25.5, and his frequency of scoring a 50-plus score has decreased from once every 4.6 innings to once every 7.86 innings. He has only aggregated 400-plus runs once (in 2019) since 2017, while scoring below 350 in five completed seasons.
The disparity between Rohit’s international and IPL performances is puzzling. The most likely explanation lies in the different roles he plays for India and Mumbai Indians. For India, he has been the aggressor at the top of the order, while for Mumbai Indians, he has adopted an anchor role, allowing players like Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Quinton de Kock, Hardik Pandya, and Kieron Pollard to accelerate the scoring.
However, with Mumbai Indians’ title drought since 2020 and Rohit’s loss of captaincy, his performance is under increasing scrutiny. He has attempted to break out of his shell this season by adopting a more aggressive approach in the powerplay, but this has come at the expense of consistency and big-run scoring.
Whether history will remember Rohit as an all-time great white-ball batter for India who underachieved in the IPL or as a leader who left a lasting legacy remains to be seen. Only time will tell if he can add one final chapter to his illustrious career and overcome his IPL batting struggles.
