Rohit Sharma was unable to play in the recent IPL 2025 match between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants on April 4 due to a knee injury. However, he didn’t let this stop him from making an impact. Despite sitting out, Rohit played an important role by guiding captain Hardik Pandya on how to bowl against Nicholas Pooran.
A video that quickly went viral on social media shows Rohit giving advice to Hardik during a strategic timeout after the sixth over of Lucknow’s innings. He suggested using slower balls and cutters to tackle the strong LSG batters. Following this discussion, Hardik executed Rohit’s plan perfectly, claiming Pooran’s wicket with a well-timed slower ball just three overs later.
As Rohit cheered from the dugout, his tactical advice proved successful for Mumbai Indians, adding to the excitement of the match. Rohit has had a tough start to the season, scoring just 21 runs in three games. He was absent from the playing XI against LSG due to the knee injury he sustained during a practice session the day before.
During the match, Lucknow Super Giants posted a total of 203 runs in their 20 overs, with Hardik Pandya making history by becoming the first captain in IPL to take five wickets in a match. Key contributions from Mitchell Marsh, who scored a quick 60 runs, and Aiden Markram, who scored 53 runs, helped LSG achieve their score. Despite losing wickets, Lucknow maintained a steady scoring rate, with notable innings from Ayush Badoni and David Miller in the later overs.
This match marked a historic moment for the Lucknow Super Giants, as it was the first time they scored more than 200 runs at home and only the second instance of such a high score at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium.
