Who said what - top 4 expert reactions on Rohit Sharma's second successive fifty in SRH vs MI IPL 2025 match ft. Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Rohit Sharma made the most of the good vein of form he is in by smashing his second consecutive half-century (70) in the ongoing Indian Premier League against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad on Wednesday, April 23.

Sharma had earlier bagged 76 against Chennai Super Kings on April 20 in Mumbai. This knock will go a long way in reaffirming to Sharma that he is not yet past his prime, and still has a lot to offer to the Mumbai Indians (MI) batting unit.

Sharma was going through a poor run of form earlier, bagging not even a single 20-plus score in his first five innings in this season's IPL. However, he seems to have turned a corner, and one can expect bigger things to come from him.

In this article, we recount the top four expert reactions to Sharma's knock:

#4 Aakash Chopra

Former India opener Aakash Chopra, known for his defensive tenacity against the new ball during his prime, took to his YouTube channel 'AakashVani' to air his thoughts about Sharma's match-winning knock for MI on Wednesday.

Chopra felt that the partnership Sharma built with Will Jacks was crucial for MI winning the game, and the way he dealt with loose deliveries spoke tons about the kind of form he is in. Chopra also referred to Sharma as 'Mumbai Cha Raja', which translates to 'Mumbai's King'.

"For the first time since 2016, Rohit Sharma has struck half-centuries in two successive games, the last match and this match. He first thrashed Chennai, and after that, it was Hyderabad's turn this time. Mumbai Cha Raja, finally baja raha hai proper se baaja, which is great news," said Chopra.

"The runs they (SRH) scored weren't enough, and the only way to survive was to pick up three early wickets. They got one, Ryan Rickelton's, but no other wicket apart from that. Rohit Sharma batted extremely well. He played with Will Jacks for some time," he added.

#3 Mpumelelo Mbangwa

Former Zimbabwe seamer Mpumelelo 'Pommie' Mbangwa, who plies his trade as a commentator these days, was frank in his admission of the fact that Sharma took no undue risks in his innings against SRH.

Earlier, Sharma had been widely criticized for throwing his wicket away against the new ball in the IPL, but on Wednesday, he put a price tag on it and made the home team's bowlers earn it.

"No undue risk, that is what I would say. You can almost mirror the two innings - 76 and 70. I think he was batting at the Wankhede a few weeks ago, and I saw him time the ball beautifully. He has always been strong on the leg side, if there are pull shots to be had, and that is what he did in this match as well. His application has been good - he is taking risks in areas which he knows to be his. Once it was short-ish, it went [out of the boundary] and when it wasn't, he crossed over to the other end," Mbangwa said on Cricbuzz.

#2 Virender Sehwag

Former India opener Virender Sehwag, speaking on Cricbuzz, applauded the maturity and class shown by Sharma in his half-century. The former Delhi and Haryana man also mentioned that Sharma made cricket look extremely easy when he was in such form and timed the ball so well.

Sehwag was, however, quick to remind the viewers that although it may seem that way to them, it was not quite easy going for Sharma, who had to work hard on his shot selection. Sharma was intent on hitting loose balls to the boundary while rotating the strike against those that were not within his reach.

"He played extremely well. He was unbeaten in the previous innings, and I expected him to do the same in this one as well. Whenever he plays this way, he makes cricket look so easy. Although it may seem that way to us, it is not so for him, as he has to pick the right ball to hit and decide which ones not to. As always, he has been extraordinary. He has worked well on his shot selection," said Sehwag.

#1 Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, one of the best opening batters of his generation, lauded Sharma for his eye-catching knock on the social media platform X. Srikkanth also mentioned that there is a reason why Sharma is a 'legend.'

While saying goodbye to SRH's hopes of qualifying for the playoffs this season, Srikkanth reminded his audience that whenever Sharma gets going and plays beyond the powerplay, the opposition must be worried beyond measure.

"What a knock and what a time to come into form! If this guy is in the wicket for more than 6 overs then God help the opposition! There is a reason why he's a legend and he just showed all of us why? Good luck SRH next year!" said Srikkanth.

You can see the tweet here: