"What could Rohit have done alone?" - Aakash Chopra lauds Rohit Sharma's century in Mumbai Indians' IPL 2024 loss to CSK

Aakash Chopra has opined that the lack of support for Rohit Sharma cost the Mumbai Indians (MI) the game in their IPL 2024 clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

CSK set MI a 207-run target after being asked to bat first in Mumbai on Sunday, April 14. Although Rohit scored an unbeaten 105 off 63 deliveries, MI were restricted to 186/6 and lost the game by 20 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Rohit Sharma was virtually a lone warrior for the Mumbai Indians with the bat.

"It was just a formality in the end as a lot of runs were left, and what could Rohit have done alone? He is a super Hitman, Ro's form is good for India and the Mumbai Indians, but what could he have done alone? The others needed to score more runs. The hundred was good," he observed (7:50).

The cricketer-turned-commentator expects the former MI skipper to cross the 500-run mark this season.

"When he lost his captaincy, we were saying that this might be the season where he scores more than 500 runs. Rohit has started moving in that path because he is trying his best to run at a strike rate of 200 for sure but has also made up his mind to play long knocks. He tried till the end but things were beyond him as well this time," Chopra explained.

Rohit is MI's top run-getter in IPL 2024. He has amassed 261 runs at an excellent strike rate of 167.30 in six innings.

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"When Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma come these days, it seems like they come with a bazooka" - Aakash Chopra

Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan stitched together a 70-run opening-wicket partnership. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on the start of the Mumbai Indians' chase, Aakash Chopra lauded Ishan Kishan (23 off 15) and Rohit Sharma for giving their team a flying start.

"When Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma come these days, it seems like they come with a bazooka. Who hits so much - 70 runs in seven overs. It was proper hitting from both ends. Whoever bowled, got hit. Ishan Kishan has been striking the ball well in this entire tournament," he said (6:00).

The former India opener praised Matheesha Pathirana for dismissing Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in the same over.

"Surya came to bat and got out to his second ball. Matheesha Pathirana has done this job two times. He dismissed Mitchell Marsh and Tristan Stubbs in the same over one day and this time, he dismissed Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav in the same over," Chopra noted.

While observing that Tilak Varma and Tim David played cameos for MI, Chopra appreciated Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman for virtually sealing the game for CSK by picking up their wickets.

"Tilak Varma looked good till the time he played. It seemed they were in cruise control but Pathirana came again and picked up a wicket, rolled his fingers over the ball, and Tilak Varma out. Then Hardik Pandya got out. After that, Mustafizur and Matheesha Pathirana. Mustafizur was hit for two sixes but he picked up Tim David's wicket," he stated.

Tilak (31 off 20) was the only MI player apart from Rohit to reach 30. David smashed two sixes in his five-ball 13. However, his dismissal and Romario Shepherd's wicket in the following over virtually ended the game as a contest.