Ahmedabad, March 30 (NationPress) Ex-India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has voiced his worries regarding Rohit Sharma's present form, stating that the opener is still "relying on his natural talent and instincts". He emphasized that the Mumbai Indians star is at a critical juncture in his career where he must actively push himself every day to achieve his peak performance.

The former captain has not showcased his best in the initial two matches of the ongoing IPL 2025, having been dismissed for a duck in the campaign's opening game against Chennai Super Kings. He faltered once more in the team’s latest clash against the Gujarat Titans, resulting in a 36-run loss on Saturday, where he managed to score only 8 runs.

“Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly experiencing a challenging phase. He is not the same Rohit Sharma we saw three to four years ago. At this point in his career, he needs to motivate himself each morning—train rigorously and perform at his best—because he is losing grip. He's still depending on his innate talent and instincts,” Manjrekar remarked on JioHotstar.

“Ryan Rickelton, a South African, will require time to adapt to Indian pitches. Very few South African batsmen, apart from AB de Villiers and Heinrich Klaasen, have genuinely thrived on Indian surfaces. Thus, we must allow him some time,” he added while evaluating MI's batting in the last two matches.

“Additionally, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, along with Robin Minz and several others, comprise the batting lineup. Nonetheless, it appears somewhat unconvincing to me. Many of them depend on pitches where the ball comes onto the bat seamlessly. There’s pace and bounce, and even in that chase where they needed 12 or 13 runs, had it been at Wankhede Stadium, they might have come quite close to the target,” Manjrekar continued.

On Saturday, GT captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan provided a fantastic start for the hosts, with the pair striking electrifying shots to score 66 runs by the end of the powerplay and assembling a 78-run opening partnership.

In this process, Gill reached the remarkable milestone of 1000 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad before departing for a commendable 38 off 27 balls. However, Sudharsan continued the aggressive play, and his brilliant score of 63 off 41 guided GT to a total of 196/8 in 20 overs.

Commenting on the partnership between Gill and Sudharsan, Manjrekar said, “Shubman Gill is not yet at his peak performance, but that will occur soon. Sai Sudharsan is an exceptional talent—he seemed to be anchoring the innings. He played nearly the entire innings and got out in the 18th over, but his strike rate typically exceeds 130 or 140.”

“He’s a player to watch closely. He has already represented India, but he continuously reminds us of his outstanding ability. Jos Buttler is also eager to perform. There is considerable strength in the reserves for the Gujarat Titans, and achieving this victory despite not being at their best is a significant achievement,” he added.

In defending 196, star bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna each took two wickets as GT limited MI to 160/6 in their 20 overs, concluding the match with a 36-run victory.

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu remarked on Krishna and Siraj's bowling efforts, stating, “There were some important breakthroughs, but Prasidh has been economical. He has displayed great intelligence on this pitch today. His slower ball is quite unique—it resembles a globe spinning on its axis. He secured both his wickets with slower deliveries.”

“Regarding Siraj, I have frequently observed him dismissing batsmen. His in-swinger is significantly quicker than his out-swinger because he adjusts his wrist while attempting the out-swinger, which reduces his speed and leads to the ball swinging earlier than necessary. Nonetheless, his in-swinger is quite effective, and today he adhered to it after conceding two boundaries,” he concluded.