IPL 2023 | Why is Rohit Sharma Not Playing vs KKR?

image-lgj917bwRohit Sharma scored a half-century in the last match (AP Photo)

In what comes as a big blow for Mumbai Indians, their regular captain Rohit Sharma, who scored a half-century in the last match has been ruled out of the ongoing match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. 

The five-time champions have entrusted Suryakumar Yadav with the captaincy duties in his absence. However, the 35-year-old has been named as an impact player, joining the likes of Vishnu Vinod, Arshad Khan, Kumar, Karthikeya, and Ramandeep Singh. 

Suryakumar Yadav provided an update on Rohit Sharma's condition after winning the toss and opting to bowl first, stating: 

"Will love to bowl first, the wicket looks dry. The ball comes on to the bat nicely later. Rohit is out, he has a stomach bug. Time to put up a good show. We are going with one change, Duan Jansen comes in, rest all is the same."

However, in an exciting development, Mumbai Indians have handed Arjun Tendulkar his debut cap. The left-arm pacer has been on the bench since 2021 but is now set to make his first appearance for the team. 

The start of the IPL 2023 was not ideal for Mumbai Indians as they lost their first two matches to Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings. But in their most recent game against Delhi Capitals, they made a resounding comeback and registered a comprehensive victory.

Currently, they find themselves in an unfavourable position in the points table, occupying the second-to-last spot. They will be keen to improve their standing with a win against Kolkata Knight Riders in the 22th match of the tournament.