"Mumbai Cha Raja, finally baja raha hai proper se baaja" - Aakash Chopra lauds Rohit Sharma's knock in MI's IPL 2025 win vs SRH
Former India player Aakash Chopra has lauded Rohit Sharma for scoring a match-winning half-century in the Mumbai Indians' (MI) IPL 2025 clash against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). He noted that the MI opener is back to his destructive best, considering he has scored two successive half-centuries after nine years.
MI restricted SRH to 143/8 in Match 41 of IPL 2025 in Hyderabad on Wednesday, April 23. Rohit scored 70 runs off 46 deliveries in the chase as the visitors achieved the target with seven wickets and 26 deliveries to spare.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener praised Rohit for playing a second successive significant knock in IPL 2025.
"For the first time since 2016, Rohit Sharma has struck half-centuries in two successive games, the last match and this match. He first thrashed Chennai, and after that, it was Hyderabad's turn this time. Mumbai Cha Raja, finally baja raha hai proper se baaja, which is great news," he said (0:01).
Chopra noted that SRH hadn't set a challenging enough target, with Rohit and Will Jacks' partnership virtually ensuring an MI win after Ryan Rickelton had been dismissed in the second over.
"The runs they (SRH) scored weren't enough, and the only way to survive was to pick up three early wickets. They got one, Ryan Rickelton's, but no other wicket apart from that. Rohit Sharma batted extremely well. He played with Will Jacks for some time," he observed.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Suryakumar Yadav played his customary unconventional shots to hand Pat Cummins and company another defeat.
"By the time Will Jacks got out, the match was done and dusted. Then Suryakumar Yadav came and did Suryakumar things. So the sun was shining. However, it's not rising but setting. They won the match with four-and-a-half overs and seven wickets to spare," Chopra elaborated.
Rohit Sharma and Will Jacks (22 off 19) stitched together a 64-run second-wicket partnership in MI's IPL 2025 clash against SRH. The former MI skipper then added 53 runs for the third wicket with Suryakumar Yadav (40* off 19) before the latter finished the game in the 16th over.
"Both together broke the back in the powerplay itself" - Aakash Chopra lauds Deepak Chahar and Trent Boult's spells in MI's IPL 2025 win vs SRH
![Trent Boult picked up four wickets in MI's IPL 2025 clash against SRH. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/04/b0bee-17454721794531-1920.jpg?w=500)
Reflecting on MI's bowling, Aakash Chopra praised Deepak Chahar (2/12 in four overs) and Trent Boult (4/26 in four overs) for dismantling the SRH batting lineup in the powerplay.
"Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma got out at the start. A very good field was set. All fielders were slightly in front of the wicket as it was a slowish pitch. Deepak Chahar bowls beautifully. Trent Boult bowls beautifully. Both together broke the back in the powerplay itself. They were 35/5. Where will you go after being 35/5?" he said (3:20) in the same video.
To conclude, the analyst noted that the five-time champions are on a winning run and would be difficult to stop.
"Mumbai have won four consecutive games. Only three teams have won four consecutive games - Gujarat Titans, Delhi Capitals, and now it's the Mumbai Indians. So you know where this team's trajectory is going, and they don't stop when they start moving like this. Then this team becomes extremely strong," Chopra observed.
With 10 points from nine games, the Mumbai Indians have jumped to the third spot in the IPL 2025 points table. They started their campaign this season with four defeats in five games, but have won their last four matches.