"Runs have dried up" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma's struggles ahead of MI vs LSG IPL 2025 clash
Former India batter Aakash Chopra has chosen Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant as the players in focus in the IPL 2025 clash between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He pointed out that Rohit has not only struggled in his first three innings this season but also had a lean run in the latter half of IPL 2024.
MI and LSG will square off in Match 16 of IPL 2025 in Lucknow on Friday, April 4. Both sides have garnered two points from their respective first three games, with MI placed just above LSG at the sixth spot on the points table due to a better net run rate.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-analyst opined that Rohit shouldn't play as an Impact Player when MI bat second and noted that the franchise's former skipper needs to address his lean run with the bat.
"R and R, do something, my friends. I am talking about Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant. Unfortunately, both have had a very ordinary start to the year. If we talk about Rohit Sharma, he is coming as an Impact Player, and I am not liking it. I feel he should be on the ground, especially when you are chasing. I don't care when you bat first," Chopra said (6:10).
"If openers come as Impact Players in the second innings, I feel you are already slightly off from the game. You have the pedigree to capture this team's bowling, but the runs have dried up. He has scored 21 runs in total in his last three matches. Rohit Sharma has scored 141 runs in his last 10 innings for the Mumbai Indians. He has just one 20-plus score, and that's not a good thing," he added.
Rohit Sharma has aggregated a paltry 21 runs at an average of 7.00 in three innings in IPL 2025. A 12-ball 13 in MI's eight-wicket win in their previous game against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mumbai on March 31 has been the opener's best effort this season.
"The question is whether the price-tag pressure is troubling him" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant ahead of LSG vs MI IPL 2025 clash
![Rishabh Pant has scored 17 runs at an average of 5.67 in three innings in IPL 2025. [P/C: Getty]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2025/04/6fda6-17437532466301-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra wondered whether Rishabh Pant's game is getting adversely impacted due to the exorbitant sum (₹27 crore) he was bought for at the IPL 2025 auction.
"Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, the question is whether the price-tag pressure is troubling him. You and I will never know. I have never seen ₹27 crore. With my limited experience with regards to money, I can say that once you enter the ground, the money you were bought for doesn't matter. You just need to see the ball and react," he said (7:30).
The former India opener noted that the LSG skipper has played a couple of indiscreet shots and urged him to take his time before going for the big hits.
"However, he has played a few bad shots. One that he played against Kuldeep Yadav, and then against Glenn Maxwell in the last match. Take a little time, my brother. People were discussing whether he should open, but he hasn't come up the order. No one can remove Nicholas Pooran now and shouldn't as well," Chopra observed.
To conclude, Aakash Chopra opined that the Lucknow Super Giants might fall way behind in the race for the IPL 2025 playoffs if Rishabh Pant doesn't fire in Friday's game. He added that a failure against the Mumbai Indians could also trigger a meme fest because of the wicketkeeper-batter's record price at the auction.