Rohit Sharma retired hurt despite giving a strong start to Mumbai Indians in a mammoth chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday. Rohit walked back to the dugout during the last over in powerplay, raising various questions among fans at Wankhede Stadium.
Chasing a 241-run target, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton gave the hosts a good start, scoring 56 runs in the first five overs. However, after finishing the fifth over with a cracking four at the backward point, Rohit seemed to be struggling with a right hamstring and also received physio treatment.
After playing the second delivery off Rasikh Salam in the sixth over, Rohit decided to retire hurt, looking disappointed as he had scored 19 runs off 13 balls. Wankhede went totally silent, as the former MI captain took a long walk back to the dugout.
Rohit Sharma's retirement raises injury concerns
Rohit's retirement hurt story took social media by storm, with many asking the reason behind it. A few thought of a forced retirement decision by management, while another section of the fans said there was an injury issue.
It looked like Rohit himself decided to retire hurt, as he was unable to score freely due to a hamstring issue. Notably, the MI opener can return to bat at any point during the innings, but given Rohit's reaction when he reached the dugout, it seems very unlikely.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav replaced Rohit Sharma and added a four off Rasikh to take Mumbai's score to 62 in the powerplay. Mumbai Indians' momentum broke after Rohit's departure, with Suyash Sharma taking two wickets in the eighth over.
Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar kept Mumbai's hopes alive with a few big overs, but the latter failed to convert a good start into a big innings. He scored 33 runs off 22 balls before throwing his wicket off Krunal Pandya's delivery in the 13th over.
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