The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is now just a few days away and the excitement amongst the fans has reached the highest echelon. With the return of IPL, the fans will also see a return of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni. The trio has retired from either two formats and fully - hence, fans across the globe wait for the IPL to witness the legendary players. With the return of players and IPL, there's another delight for the fans - Rohit Sharma, who was earlier playing as an impact player in the IPL, will not play as an impact player in the upcoming season. 

The Head Coach of Mumbai Indians, Mahela Jayawardene confirmed the news to media and told them why he wants Rohit Sharma to be on the field as much as possible. While speaking with the media he said, "Rohit Sharma had a few minor fitness concerns last year, so his workload needed careful management. Despite that, he continued to make a big impact on the team, whether on the field or off it. The focus this season is to keep him on the field as much as possible, while making decisions based on team balance and match situations."

Here's the tweet

 

With return of Rohit Sharma on the field, Mumbai Indians has also got stronger with their on field decisions. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma are there on the field to support Hardik Pandya on the field for all his decisions during the game. 

The Mumbai Indians have started off their preparations for the upcoming IPL and will be taking on the Ajinkya Rahane's Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on 29th March 2026. It will be interesting to see how Hardik Pandya leads the team in the upcoming season.