Ahead of today’s clash vs DC, MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene lauds opener Rohit Sharma’s clear pre-season vision to improve his fitness which helped him kick-off IPL-19 in dominant fashion
MI’s Rohit Sharma during a practice session ahead of their match against DC in New Delhi on Friday. Pic/PTI
As Mumbai Indians gear up for their first away game of IPL-19 against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, head coach Mahela Jayawardene has shed light on star opener Rohit Sharma’s impressive work ethic in the build-up to the tournament, which bodes well for the five-time champions in the matches to come.
Going into the match, which will be DC’s first at home, the two teams meet with one win each under their belt. MI beat Kolkata Knight Riders in their first game at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, while DC beat Lucknow Super Giants away on Wednesday.
Mahela Jayawardene. Pic/Atul Kamble
Rohit was a key figure in MI’s six-wicket win over KKR as he blasted 78 off 38 balls at a strike-rate of 205.26 to help chase the 221-run target with ease.
Jayawardene expressed his satisfaction with the fitness and form of Rohit, who returned to competitive cricket after a gap of three months. “Credit to him [Rohit], he had a plan and vision. A few of the guys who are in our set-up were involved in this training that he wanted to do. Also, to get to a fitness level that he was comfortable with, he knew what he needed to do. Even though Rohit hasn’t played competitive cricket, he did quite a bit of skill work off-season whenever he had the time.
“Then he joined us on our first day of the camp, and we had a chat on how we wanted to start. We did a lot of simulations, we had quite a few practice matches. So, he was part of all that. I knew when I watched him batting in the nets that he was in pretty good nick. His hand speed was pretty good. For someone who has played the game for such a long time, it’s in the veins, muscle memory, and how he wanted to go about. He will react much better in the middle. It was a good start for him in the first game, and hopefully, he can continue that,” Jayawardene said.
Acknowledging DC’s strength while playing at home, Jayawardene said it would be a good match. “They are a very good team. Every team at home is a challenge and that’s how we look at it. First game for them here as well, so that’s probably a slight advantage for us,” he said.
MI are bolstered by the arrival of New Zealand’s T20 skipper left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. The team fielded 20-year-old Afghan off-spinner AM Ghazanfar against KKR, who gave 51 runs in 4 overs and went wicket-less.
2
No. of matches MI won against DC in 2025
4
No. of losses for DC in five matches at Delhi in 2025
21-16
Mumbai Indians’s win-loss record against Delhi Capitals across 37 matches
37
No. of matches Rohit Sharma has played against DC — his highest against any IPL side
1057
No. of runs scored by Rohit Sharma against DC — his second most against any team after KKR (1161)
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