‘He’s still good enough to be part of Indian T20I side’ – Ex-CSK batter lauds Rohit Sharma ahead of IPL 2026

Rohit Sharma (Source: Mumbai Indians/IG)

Former Indian cricketer Subramaniam Badrinath praised Rohit Sharma, stating that the legendary captain could still feature in the Indian T20I side ahead of IPL 2026. He also highlighted the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) opening pair of Rohit and Quinton de Kock as a potentially intimidating combination for opponents in the upcoming season.

The five-time champions secured De Kock for INR 1 crore in a bargain buy. The South African opener previously played for MI from 2019 to 2021, helping the team win the title in his first two seasons. Rohit Sharma retired from T20Is after leading India to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and was replaced as MI captain by Hardik Pandya ahead of the 2024 IPL edition.

“He’s still good enough to be part of the Indian T20I side. His opening partnership with Quinton de Kock is scary. How did the other owners allow MI to buy De Kock? It’s an amazing buy for MI,” said Badrinath on his YouTube channel.

Badrinath urged MI to play Tilak Varma at No. 3, despite his success in the lower-middle order for India during the 2026 T20 World Cup. He also advised the five-time champions not to tinker with the batting positions of Tilak, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya at Nos. 3, 4, and 5.

“Tilak did very well for India at No.5 and 6 in the T20 World Cup. But if he continues there, who’ll come at No.3 for MI? It probably means Suryakumar Yadav has to bat at No.3, which leaves a question mark for No.4. That’s why I’ll keep Tilak Varma at No.3. Down the order, MI have plenty of options with Hardik Pandya, Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, and Will Jacks,” said Badrinath.

“The Indian team made Tilak Varma bat lower down the order because of Rinku Singh’s absence. But for MI, I’ll have Tilak at 3, Surya at 4, and Hardik at 6. And I won’t disturb this order,” he added.

Mumbai Indians will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on March 29.

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