"Pretend that he has got the India blues" - Michael Vaughan's interesting suggestion to Rohit Sharma after GT vs MI IPL 2025 match
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has a suggestion on how Mumbai Indians (MI) opener Rohit Sharma can find his form in IPL 2025. The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons the veteran cricketer must pretend he is in India's blue jersey and is playing for the country, not MI.
Rohit has carried his inconsistent form over the last 18 months into IPL 2025, having notched two single-figure scores in as many games in the tournament. Saturday's fixture against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad saw the right-hander bowled through the gate by Mohammed Siraj after hitting two boundaries.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Vaughan said their former captain must come good if the Mumbai Indians are to go the distance in IPL 2025. The 50-year-old said Rohit has the potential to win a game on his own.
"He just got to pretend that he has got the Indian blues on and not the Mumbai blues. He is such a good player. For Mumbai to travel the distance this year, he has got to get runs. He has got to get his team off to flyers, his got to get back his confidence, his mojo. I just think Mumbai without Rohit Sharma firing, I don't think they will make the qualification (playoffs). He is one of those few players who can win a game om his own."
The 2024 season was the first since 2019 that Rohit crossed the 400-run mark, as he clattered 417 runs. Although India won the Champions Trophy 2025, the skipper had only one innings of note in the tournament when he hammered 76 in the final against New Zealand.
"He needs to find that inner motivation" - Michael Vaughan on Rohit Sharma
In the same interview, Vaughan recalled instances during the Test series against Australia (BGT 2024-25) when Rohit didn't seem too bothered by the situation. He said:
"Sometimes I watch Rohit, like in the Australia Test series, and he sometimes has that persona that he is not bothered when he is there. I am sure he is not like that. He needs to find that inner motivation. If he can find that, he can be very dangerous."
Mumbai Indians' next IPL 2025 fixture is against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday, March 31, at the Wankhede Stadium.