Mahela Jayawardene breaks silence on Rohit Sharma's impact player role, now the whole game will change!

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene said on Tuesday that Rohit Sharma looks very fit and fully committed before IPL 2026. Rohit, who has retired from T20, last played an ODI series for India against New Zealand in January. Jayawardene hopes that the former India and Mumbai Indians captain will continue to guide the team.

Jayawardene said during the MI Junior 2026 Finals, “He has worked very hard. He worked a lot on his skills last week and has joined us from the first day of the training camp. He looks in form in the net sessions.” He said, “This is the new side of Rohit (very fit and completely dedicated). I am expecting him to lead from the front.” With this he made it clear that Rohit Sharma will not play as an impact player this season.

Jayawardene not worried about Surya's form

Jayawardene also praised Suryakumar Yadav and said that the Indian T20 captain is not worried about his personal form. He said that Suryakumar's captaincy was commendable in helping the team win its record third title in the T20 World Cup. He said, “Suryakumar is not too worried about his form. He is an amazing player and contributes at the right time. Yes, consistency is an aspect he would like to work on, but the way he has led the team is commendable.”

Jayawardene also praised Jasprit Bumrah and said that he is a special player. He said, “Bumrah's working style and way of understanding the game is different. His performance at important moments of the World Cup was excellent.” He said that India performed well in the final stages of the tournament and the victories in the Men's T20 World Cup and Women's ODI World Cup are providing a lot of inspiration to the new generation and especially the players in the MI Junior camp.