Mumbai Indians’ decision to keep former skipper Rohit Sharma off the field for the second half of the must-win Qualifier 2 against the Punjab Kings has triggered widespread debate. Shreyas Iyer-led PBKS chased down 204 with an over to spare, becoming the first team in 18 IPL seasons to successfully chase a 200-plus total against Mumbai Indians.

Rohit, one of the most successful captains in IPL history with five titles to his name, has been used as an Impact Player this season, opening the batting but rarely taking the field as a fielder. Against PBKS as well, Rohit once again did not take the field in the second innings as pacer Ashwani Kumar was subbed in. While his presence might not have changed the result single-handedly, his absence on the field could have given Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya an additional piece of advice which could have resulted in their favour.

During PBKS' innings, Hardik backed the young Ashwani, who had bowled brilliantly in the Eliminator against the Gujarat Titans. But in the following game, when Iyer and Nehal Wadhera began to build a stand, important bowling decisions needed to be made. Hardik had the option to bowl himself or utilise Mitchell Santner, who had two overs remaining and had gone for just 15 runs from his first two overs. Instead, he went with Ashwani in the 19th over, which cost 24 runs and pushed MI out of the competition.

Had Rohit been on the field, he could have influenced some calls. The Nagpur-born possibly advised Hardik to hold Ashwani back or rotate Bumrah differently. His experience, especially in playoff games, could have been crucial for the team.

Rohit’s captaincy record in the playoffs is also impressive. In 15 playoff games as captain, he has won 11. On the other hand, Hardik was traded from the Gujarat Titans, led them to a title in 2022, and the final in 2023. The all-rounder has captained in seven playoff games and won four. 

Meanwhile, MI were clinical with the bat earlier, with Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Naman Dhir all contributing to post 203/6. But with their bowlers having a poor day on the field, and Iyer's brilliance with the bat, PBKS confirmed their final berth.