Rohit Sharma may not have featured in T20 cricket for nearly a year, but as he gears up for another Indian Premier League season, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene is expecting a “newer version” of his senior pro.

“He (Rohit) has done a lot of work behind the scenes. He had a lot of skill work done in the last week. He joined us on the first day of our training camp. He looked very good in the nets. This is a newer version of Rohit as well — much fitter and very committed. So, I’m looking forward to him leading us from the top,” Jayawardene said on the sidelines of the final of the MI Junior on Tuesday.

Rohit, who retired from T20Is in 2024 after leading India to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 title, remains a key figure for Mumbai. In the previous IPL season, he scored 329 runs in 13 matches.

While Jayawardene hopes for Rohit to deliver, he isn’t concerned about India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav’s form. Despite the team’s success, Suryakumar endured a relatively quiet campaign, scoring 242 runs.

“I think Sky (Suryakumar) is not worried too much about his form. He’s a class operator,” Jayawardene said. “He’s always going to get there. He contributed when it mattered. Yes, consistency is something that he would want to improve. But I think leading the team the way he led the team and keeping everything together. There were a couple of tough decisions they had to make during the season and in the World Cup, which Sky did. Hats off to him. I’m sure he’ll have a good break and join the camp with a smiley face,” he said.

The former Sri Lanka captain also reserved special praise for Jasprit Bumrah.

“ Jassi is always a special player and it’s just the work ethic he puts in and the way he thinks about the game that also matters,” he said. “The way he executed in crucial moments for India in the World Cup was something special. We’ve seen it in Mumbai (Indians) ranks many times and having closely worked with him, I know how much thinking goes behind those executions and what he wanted to do. So, I’m quite happy for him.”

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As Jayawardene interacted with young cricketers after the MI Junior final, he also stressed the importance of values and talent identification.

“One way is to get kids to play the game and understand and play with the right values as well. I think if we can incorporate that the way Mumbai plays as well and then for us to even identify talent, both boys and girls, I think this year also they have identified some really good talent,” he said.

Mumbai Indians will begin its campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on March 29.

Published on Mar 17, 2026