MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene provides fitness update on Rohit Sharma before clash vs RR

Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene has rubbished suggestions that ’s role as an Impact Substitute has anything to do with ongoing fitness concerns. The Indian team has included him with caution for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, but the former captain has recovered fully from the hamstring issue that marred his 2026 season earlier this year, he revealed.

Rohit’s limited fielding appearances had prompted speculation over whether Mumbai were still managing his physical workload with caution. But the franchise now sees it as a tactical decision about team balance versus injury management.

From the point of view of our medical team, Rohit is 100%. “We were a little bit careful in the first game coming back from the hamstring injury. “Now he is playing as Impact Sub only for the team combination when we are bowling. “He is a team man, he understands that very well,” Jayawardene said at the press conference.

Fitness setbacks have repeatedly disrupted Mumbai’s campaign across the squad, not allowing the side to find a settled combination. The absence of Rohit earlier in the season only added to the instability and the team struggled to maintain momentum despite having arguably one of the strongest cores in the league on paper.

The continued use of Rohit as a batting option had only raised a few eyebrows as the franchise expected a more involved on-field role from the veteran opener this season. Jayawardene's explanation seems to be an effort to separate fitness and tactical planning.

The MI coach also backed Suryakumar Yadav who has not been able to live up to the expectations this season. Mumbai’s middle order woes have been a recurrent feature of the tournament, with Surya unable to provide the control and acceleration that he usually brings to his batting.

“Surya is naturally a gifted player. It’s a bit of confidence and just going through a patch at the moment. "It happens in cricket," Jayawardene said.

The MI camp also spoke about the return of the fast bowler from injury with Jayawardene describing his comeback as a carefully orchestrated process involving multiple stakeholders inside the franchise.

"It was a conversation with Bumrah and the training staff. That was a good conversation. Everyone learns from this type of season. “He put in a lot of hard yards in those six to eight weeks to get back to where he should be,” Jayawardene said.