Lalchand Rajput: ‘Rohit Sharma should open for MI’

MI has opted to open with West Indian Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav, with wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan coming one-down.

Published : Apr 26, 2018 20:26 IST , Mumbai

 Rohit Sharma has been coming to bat at number four.
Rohit Sharma has been coming to bat at number four.
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Rohit Sharma has been coming to bat at number four.

Former India batsman Lalchand Rajput believes that Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma should open the innings for the defending champion, as it can give the team a good start.

“Rohit is a prolific opening batsman, who has done exceptionally well for India as an opener. So, opening and playing free is important for him. If you start well, then you can pile up a big score. You have to open with Rohit, as simple as that,” Rajput said.

“When you bat at number four after losing two wickets, it is a different ball-game, rather than opening. It (Rohit opening the innings) will help Mumbai because it will get a good start, as the start is important,” the former Mumbai opener added.

Three times champion MI, which has lost five of the six games, has opted to open with West Indian Evin Lewis and Suryakumar Yadav, with wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan coming one-down. Rohit has been coming to bat at number four.

READ: Manjrekar: ‘Gambhir’s captaincy was no issue, DD batsmen failed’

“However, Rohit is such a player, once he gets the 30s, he makes it big,” Rajput, a domestic bulwark, said. In the six games played so far, except his match-winning knock of 94 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Rohit has not even gone past the score of 20.

Rajput, a former coach of Afghanistan, also said that West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard has been “struggling” and MI can look at South African J.P. Duminy as an option.

“If a certain player is not doing well, you have to look at it. He (Pollard) is not in good form and has not (performed) well. It is the time that it (MI) looks for other options and (J.P.) Duminy is the other option,” added Rajput.

The 30-year-old Pollard has miserably failed with the bat, as his highest score in the five games, this season, has been 28. MI will now clash with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), on Saturday, in Pune, and will seek to take revenge after its defeat against the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side, at the Wankhede Stadium, here.

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