Mahela Jayawardena reveals why Mumbai Indians dropped Rohit Sharma down batting order

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians coach Mahela Jayawardena, in the wee hours of Monday morning, shed some light on captain Rohit Sharma's new position in the batting lineup.

Jayawardena’s side got off the mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL) table, as they registered a four-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders, on Sunday.

Rohit, who generally opens the batting in limited-overs cricket, has been dropped to the number four spot for Mumbai Indians.

When asked about the Indian batsman’s unusual position in the lineup, Jayawardena said, “It's just a decision that we took tactically. We can't keep playing the patterns that we've played in the past as well.

“Teams tend to target Rohit, and put a lot of pressure on the other guys as well,” he told reporters at the Wankhede Stadium, after the match.

Jayawardena also went on to state that the decision to drop Rohit down the batting order was also partially influenced by the fact that the 29-year-old is currently making a comeback from injury.

“Rohit is coming back from an injury. We have to slowly get him involved,” said Jayawardena.

However, the former Sri Lanka captain did not rule out a move back to opener’s slot, for Rohit.

“You might be surprised. On some day he may open the batting as well,”he said. “But right now the guys are taking responsibilities in their roles. We just need to create that difference out there.”

Jayawardena also had some special praise for MI’s 23-year-old batsman Nitish Rana, who scored 50 off 29 balls to help Mumbai clinch the win.

“I was pretty pleased to see that it was two young players that carried us through,” he said. “Batted deep, especially Nitish (Rana). Anchored the innings upfront, and showed what he can do.

“When you lose your first game, to come back with that kind of character. That shows quality. Even the last game as well,” concluded Jayawardena.