“If the legs were okay, I think why not?” - Former cricketer suggests new position for Rohit Sharma after MI vs RCB IPL 2025 match

Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull has endorsed Rohit Sharma for a return to the middle order, if he can prove his fitness to meet the demands of the role. The Mumbai Indians (MI) opener has been struggling for runs in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring only 38 runs in four innings so far with a strike rate of 131.03.

The five-time champions are dealing with a serious headache in their batting department, particularly their top order. All three of Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, and Will Jacks are not chipping in with big knocks and laying down the foundation. Furthermore, due to this combination, the batters suited for No.3 like Naman Dhir and Tilak Varma have been forced to come down the order.

Simon Doull shared his thoughts regarding a potential change in role for Rohit Sharma in the MI middle order.

"The only thing I will say about that is, and with all due respect, the running between the wickets, at the back end. It is such a crucial part of the game, and with the little injuries that he has had, and the worries around that. If he was a 100 percent fit, and the legs were okay, and he could run freely between the wickets, I think why not?" Simon Doull said on Cricbuzz.

The former cricketer also opined that Tilak Varma should be MI's No.3, and Will Jacks should be shuffled somewhere else in the batting order to accommodate the left-handed youngster there.

"I think to me, Tilak is a No.3. I think he is the one that has to bat at No.3. he's got power, and you can revolve your innings around him. I think that he is that highly skilled and such a talent that moving forward you have to decide that if Will Jacks moves to No.5, and play a different role, then so be it," he added.

Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 17 runs off nine deliveries in MI's loss to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Wankhede Stadium. The former skipper had missed the contest against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after sustaining a hit on the knee during practice.

Rohit Sharma has scored 2392 runs at an average of 32.77 at No.4 in the IPL

The Hitman began his career as a middle-order batter, and largely spent his early seasons in the IPL floating around from No.3 to No.7. Even after his switch to the Mumbai Indians (MI), he primarily played at No.4, allowing the likes of Lendl Simmons, Parthiv Patel, Suryakumar Yadav, and Quinton de Kock among several others over the years to play with freedom at the top.

However, since IPL 2019, he has played as an opening batter, only dropping down to No.3 on one occasion, during the away clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2023.

He has amassed 2392 runs in 86 innings at No.4 with a strike rate of 128.67 in his IPL career.