Why is Rohit Sharma not playing today’s IPL 2021 match vs Chennai Super Kings?

Rohit Sharma not playing: The captain of Mumbai Indians won’t be playing in their first match of Indian Premier League 2021 Phase 2.

During the 30th match of the ongoing 14th season of the Indian Premier League between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in Dubai, Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the toss and chose to bat.

“We will bat first, looks like a good wicket. Setting a target will be a better option. It’s the same for everyone. I can’t say if it’s a good break or not. Once tournament starts, you get into some sort of rhythm but this season it’s new and maybe us cricketers will start loving it.

“Seven games, then a break, and seven more. It comes down to how you play on that day in the shortest form. We’ll try to do the basics right and focus on the process,” Dhoni told Star Sports at the toss.

As mentioned before, Super Kings will take the field without all-rounder Sam Curran in this match. Hence, their four overseas players for the first match of the second phase are South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis, England all-rounder Moeen Ali, West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood.

Why is Rohit Sharma not playing vs Chennai Super Kings?

The first match of IPL 2021 Phase 2 has put forward its biggest surprise in the form of Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma and all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s absence. The development was confirmed at the toss when Kieron Pollard had walked alongside Dhoni.

Right before the start of the match, Sharma was seen going through a fitness test which seems to have suggested regarding needing to rest him for this match.

“We weren’t so sure, so happy that I lost the toss. Rohit [Sharma] is okay, he’ll be fine sooner rather than later, I’m just the captain for today. We started a couple of months back. Rohit misses out, Hardik [Pandya] is not playing as well. Anmolpreet [Singh] makes his debut, that’s about it, all others are regular players,” Pollard told Star Sports at the toss.