IPL 2026: What has happened to Rohit Sharma? Why did Mumbai Indians overlook him yet again?

New Delhi: Mumbai Indians fans have suffered yet another blow in IPL 2026. The team's star batsman, Rohit Sharma, missed his fourth consecutive match. There were hopes of his return during Wednesday's clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but that did not materialize.

Why did Mumbai Indians omit Rohit Sharma?

During the toss, Captain Hardik Pandya made it clear that Rohit would require a little more time before making a comeback. He stated that Rohit is not yet fully fit and remains unavailable for the team. In fact, Rohit Sharma has been sidelined since April 12. He sustained a hamstring injury during the match against RCB. Since then, he has been working on his recovery with the medical team but has not yet regained match fitness.

The impact of Rohit's absence is clearly visible in Mumbai Indians' batting performance. The team is struggling to find a stable opening combination. Players such as Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickelton, and Danish Malewar have been tried out, but none have managed to prove their mettle. Danish Malewar's performance, in particular, has been disappointing; he scored just 2 and 0 runs in the last two matches. This has resulted in weak starts for the team and has increased the pressure on the middle order.

Interestingly, despite missing several matches, Rohit Sharma remains the team's fourth-highest run-scorer. He has scored 137 runs at an average of 45.66 and a strike rate of 165. The question now is: when will Rohit Sharma make his return, and until then, will Mumbai Indians be able to steady their ship? The upcoming matches are crucial for the team, and Rohit's absence continues to be a major cause for concern.

What were the Playing XIs? 

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Salil Arora (Wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins (Captain), Harsh Dubey, Sakib Hussain, Prafull Hinge, Ishan Malinga.

Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (Wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (Captain), Robin Minz, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwini Kumar.