[Watch] Rohit Sharma looks in sublime touch ahead of IPL 2024
Former Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma has looked in sublime touch with the bat as he prepares for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Rohit, who led India in the five-match Test series against England, joined the MI contingent on Monday, March 18. He immediately hit the nets to get into the T20 mode and looked in ominous touch.
In a short clip that surfaced online recently, Rohit Sharma looked in full flow with the bat. He unleashed the big shots both on the off and leg side and timed the ball from the middle of the bat.
Rohit's form at the top of the order would be crucial to MI's chances as they aim to lift their sixth IPL title.
Watch the clip here:
Rohit joins the IPL sphere on the back of a good outing against England. He scored two centuries and a fifty in the five-match series and will hope to replicate the same in the T20 league.
The right-handed batter hasn't enjoyed a great deal of success in the IPL in the last few seasons. He averaged a dismal 20.75 last season, which slipped to below 20 in 2022.
Rohit, who was replaced by Hardik Pandya as Mumbai captain in IPL 2024, will look to bat freely and get himself into the groove for the T20 World Cup to follow in June.
"This is that season where you can score 500-600 runs" - Aakash Chopra feels Rohit Sharma can have a breakthrough IPL season this year
There is no doubt that the former Mumbai Indians skipper is one of the most decorated batters of the current generation. Yet, Rohit has not lived up to his potential in the IPL, scoring 500-plus runs in a season on just one occasion, which came in 2013.
Aakash Chopra, however, believes this year could be a breakthrough season for Rohit in the IPL given that he has no added responsibility. In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, the former Indian opener said:
"Rohit Sharma - he has had just one 500-run season. This is that season where you can score 500-600 runs and destroy everyone. Try to play once without the pressures of captaincy."
"The captaincy pressure from a long time might just be bogging him down," he added. "It happens at times that you have so much responsibility, you don't enjoy yourself and your game. This is your opportunity," he added.
Do you think Rohit Sharma can score 500+ runs in IPL 2024? Let us know in the comment section.