"Coaches must keep their egos aside" - Indian legend's massive statement on Rohit Sharma after DC vs MI IPL 2025 clash
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh praised Rohit Sharma for his tactical brilliance in the Mumbai Indians' (MI) 12-run win over the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 13. Despite being subbed out for the incoming Karn Sharma in MI's bowling innings, Rohit stayed involved in the contest.
Chasing 206 for victory, DC coasted to 135/2 in the 12th over, thanks to a sensational 40-ball 89 by Karun Nair. However, with the game still hanging in the balance entering the 14th over, Rohit signaled to skipper Hardik Pandya and Karn Sharma to request a ball change due to the dewy conditions.
For the uninitiated, new BCCI rules were introduced before IPL 2025, allowing for a ball change after the 10th over should there be massive dew.
The change worked wonders for MI as Karn dismissed the dangerous duo of Tristan Stubbs and KL Rahul in the 14th and 16th overs, respectively. Talking about Rohit's impact as a tactician on his YouTube channel, 'Harbhajan Turbanator Singh,' he said (Via Hindustan Times):
"Rohit Sharma played the masterstroke. He asked the head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, to employ spinners and bring Karn Sharma into the attack. Karn Sharma came into the attack and took three wickets, turning the game's tide. It was a gold move. Mahela Jayawardene made a bad move. Rohit was incredible against Delhi Capitals. Sometimes, the coaches must keep their egos aside and consider how the team can benefit."
He continued:
"I hope Rohit Sharma keeps sharing his inputs from the dugout. I think Mahela Jayawardene was not on board. If they had gone with what Jayawardene had to say, the Mumbai Indians would have also lost this game. Rohit Sharma was there, he had the best move. He is the captain. He always thinks like a captain. A captain is always the captain, and his tactical acumen helped Mumbai win."
Karn finished with match-winning figures of 3/36 in four overs to help MI pull off a thrilling win. Meanwhile, Rohit continued his struggles with the bat in IPL 2025, scoring just 18 off 12 deliveries.
The former MI captain has scored just 56 runs in his five innings at a dismal average of 11.20.
"Everyone got their money's worth" - Harbhajan Singh on thrilling MI vs DC encounter
Harbhajan Singh complimented MI and DC for producing one of the best matches of the IPL 2025 season. DC came into the game as the only unbeaten side in the competition, winning all four of their outings.
Meanwhile, MI proved to be slow starters again, losing four out of their first five games before the DC encounter.
"The match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals was incredible. Everyone got their money's worth. Mumbai Indians controlled their nerves and defended the 205-run total. This win will give them confidence and self-belief. This is a big win," said Harbhajan via the aforementioned source.
The win took MI to seventh on the points table, while DC remained second behind the Gujarat Titans (GT). The two teams will meet again in their respective league stage finales at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 15.