Former Indian cricketer and batting great, Sunil Gavaskar, has suggested that Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma should take a break from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and prepare for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final. Gavaskar made the suggestion during a post-match show on Star Sports after MI's 55-run defeat to Gujarat Titans.
Sharma had a poor outing in the match as he was dismissed for only two runs off eight deliveries. The MI skipper has not been in good form throughout the season, having scored only 181 runs in seven matches at an average of 25.86 and a strike rate of 135.07. He has been dismissed between 20 and 45 on four occasions this season, with his only fifty coming against Delhi Capitals.
Gavaskar believes that Sharma should take a break from the IPL to keep himself fit and refreshed for the WTC final. He suggested that Sharma can return for the last few matches of the tournament to be in rhythm for the WTC final. Gavaskar said that Sharma is looking preoccupied and may be thinking about the WTC final at this stage.
"I would like to see some change in the batting order for Mumbai Indians. Honestly, I would also say that Rohit should maybe also take a break for the time being and keep himself fit for the World Test Championship final. He can come back again for the last few matches, but right now, he should take a little bit of a breather himself," Gavaskar said.
At the halfway stage of the tournament, MI is currently placed at No. 7 on the ten-team table with three wins from seven games. They have had a mixed run in the tournament, winning three games and losing four. Speaking about MI's performance, Gavaskar said that the team needs a miracle to qualify for the playoffs.
"It's going to be a miracle that's going to make them qualify for the IPL playoffs. The way they are at the moment, yes, they could conceivably finish at number four, but they will have to play some extraordinary cricket, both batting as well as bowling," Gavaskar said.