How Rohit Sharma's poor form with the bat is hurting Mumbai Indians' IPL 2025 campaign

NEW DELHI: Mumbai Indians' hopes of securing a top-two finish in the IPL 2025 were dashed on Monday after a 7-wicket loss to Punjab Kings in their final league game at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Among the biggest concerns for the five-time champions this season has been the underwhelming form of senior opener and India's ODI captain, Rohit Sharma.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!In a high-stakes match that could have sealed a Qualifier 1 spot, Rohit scored a sluggish 24 off 21 balls, striking at just 114.29. While he and Ryan Rickelton stitched a 45-run opening stand in 5 overs, the veteran's innings lacked the aggression or authority expected from a senior player of his calibre. The team eventually fell short, managing only a below-par total that Punjab chased with ease.Who's that IPL player?Rohit's overall numbers in IPL 2025 have been modest at best — 329 runs from 13 games at an average of 27.42, including three half-centuries. Crucially, 199 of those runs came in just three innings during MI's six-match winning streak, where he struck scores of 76* (vs CSK), 70 (vs SRH), and 53 (vs RR). Outside of those knocks, he has contributed only 130 runs in 10 innings, with scores like 0, 8, 13, 17, 18, 26, 12, 5 and 7 hurting MI's top-order stability.MI started their campaign poorly, losing four of their first five games. Rohit's lack of impact at the top was a major factor in those early stumbles. While Suryakumar Yadav's record-breaking season — 640 runs in 14 games — was pivotal in MI's resurgence, the inconsistency from their senior opener remains a lingering issue.As MI now gear up for the Eliminator on May 30, they will need more than just Surya's brilliance. Rohit's form could prove decisive in the knockout stages. If he doesn't fire soon, MI's dreams of a sixth title might remain just that — dreams.