MI defend captain Rohit Sharma, troll PBKS social media handle with stunning riposte

Mumbai Indians (MI) defended their captain Rohit Sharma via their official social media handle after he was dismissed for a duck against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Wednesday, May 3.

PBKS’s official handle tweeted a duck beside Rohit Sharma’s initials alongside a laughing emoji (now deleted). In reply, MI took a shot at Punjab's Twitter admin by mentioning the six IPL trophies Rohit has won as a player – five with Mumbai as skipper and one with the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in IPL 2009 under Adam Gilchrist’s captaincy.

@PunjabKingsIPL Rohit Sharma 🏆 x 6️⃣
KXIP 🏆 x 0️⃣
PBKS 🏆 x 0️⃣

#Respect

The franchise further added that Kings XI Punjab and Punjab Kings could not change their fortunes despite changing their name. The Punjab-based franchise has never won an IPL trophy.

Rohit Sharma’s lean patch with the bat, though, is a huge cause for concern for both MI. The right-handed batter has amassed 184 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 129.58, including a solitary fifty.

So far, Rohit has registered four single-digit scores in IPL 2023, including 0, 3, and 2 in his last three innings. He will be hoping for better performances in the remaining games as MI chase their sixth IPL trophy.

“When we started the T20 format, 150 was a winning score” – Rohit Sharma hails MI batting unit for pulling off another 200+ chase

Rohit Sharma hailed the Mumbai Indians' batting unit for pulling off a 200+ chase in back-to-back matches following their six-wicket victory over Punjab Kings on Wednesday. He credited Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav for their quickfire knocks of 75 and 66.

𝗕𝗘𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗩𝗘 💙

#OneFamily #PBKSvMI #MumbaiMeriJaan #MumbaiIndians #TATAIPL #IPL2023 https://t.co/53Gp5nVRc9

At the post-match conference, the MI captain said:

"When we started the T20 format, 150 was a winning score. One extra batter makes a huge difference as well. The average score is around 180 this season. SKY has been doing that for a couple of overs. To play behind the wicket is his strength. He utilized it well."

Sharma continued:

“Kishan is powerful. He practices those [attacking] shots. He has been working really hard for the last couple of weeks. Kishan and SKY batted brilliantly.”

Rohit Sharma did, however, sound unhappy with MI's bowling unit for leaking 200+ once again. He stated:

“We need to think how to shut down overs. In three to four games, we have conceded more than 200.”

MI will play MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, May 6.

Click here to check out the PBKS vs MI full scorecard.