Mahela Jayawardene opposed Rohit Sharma's DC masterstroke, told to leave 'ego aside' by ex-MI player

Mahela Jayawardene opposed Rohit Sharma's DC masterstroke, says Harbhajan Singh.

In a thrilling IPL 2025 match, the Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals by 12 runs in Delhi on Sunday. A 206-run chase with Karun Nair on fire gave the impression that the Delhi Capitals would win the match. DC needed 61 runs in the final 7 overs to win at 145 for 4. The umpires granted MI's request to change the ball, and the ensuing action was an absolute thriller. Rohit Sharma was the one who executed a brilliant move.

From the dugout, Rohit urged Karn Sharma to go for a change with the ball in the fourteenth over. To counteract the effects of dew, the new IPL regulation permits a fresh ball after the tenth over of the second innings. As soon as the ball was changed, wickets started to fall.

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"A crucial ploy by Rohit Sharma turned a loss into win. DC was running away with the game. Karun Nair was batting brilliantly. Nobody was able to stop him. He was playing like Pushpa, spreading like wildfire. In the 13th over, it seemed like DC would win. But just then Rohit asked the head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, to employ spinners and bring Karn Sharma into the attack. I think Mahela Jayawardene did not agree with Rohit Sharma. If they had gone with what Jayawardene had to say, the Mumbai Indians would have also lost this game. Rohit Sharma was there, he had the best move. He is the captain. He always thinks like a captain. A captain is always the captain, and his tactical acumen helped Mumbai win," said Harbhajan on his YouTube channel.

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"Karn Sharma came into the attack and took three wickets, turning the game's tide. It was a gold move. This wouldn't have happened when Tilak Varma retired against Lucknow and Mitchell Santner was sent in if Rohit Sharma had been in the dugout. Mahela Jayawardene made a bad move. Rohit was incredible against Delhi Capitals. Sometimes, the coaches must keep their egos aside and consider how the team can benefit. I hope Rohit Sharma keeps sharing his inputs from the dugout," Harbhajan added.

On an action-packed Sunday, Rohit Sharma's terrible streak in the IPL continued with yet another lackluster performance against the Delhi Capitals on a flat track.

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When Rohit and Ryan Rickelton were set to bat, they attempted to take advantage of the favorable circumstances by attacking the table-toppers aggressively.  In the second over, Rohit clobbered Mitchell Starc, demonstrating indications of coming back to form.

Rohit looked set for a prolonged stay on the crease after hitting two boundaries and a six. But in his quest to strike a balance between caution and assertiveness, he lost the plot.

The seasoned opener was pinned in front of the stumps after attempting a sweep and missing the ball completely.  Rohit returned to the dressing room with 18 (12), marking yet another low score.

Following yet another poor performance, Rohit currently has the second-lowest opening batting average among players who have played at least 25 innings since the 2023 IPL.

With 805 runs to his credit, Rohit's average of 24.39 since the 2023 IPL is the second-lowest of any opener. The powerful opener, who has amassed 507 runs at an average of 20.28, is only surpassed by Wriddhiman Saha. Rohit has only managed 56 runs at a pitiful average of 11.20 in the current season.