'He doesn't score 600-700 runs like Virat Kohli' - IPL winner's stunning remark on Rohit Sharma ahead of auction 2026

Published - 10 Nov 2025, 14:01 IST | Updated - 10 Nov 2025, 14:27 IST

Mohammad Kaif pointed out that Rohit Sharma has not been able to aggregate 600-plus runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) season so far in his career. The former Mumbai Indians (MI) captain, who led the team to five IPL titles, had his best outing with the bat in 2013, when he aggregated 538 runs in 19 matches. Notably, this is the only season in which he scored 500-plus runs.

Kaif believes that, having worked hard on his fitness in recent months, the former India captain will be determined to have a stellar season with the bat next year in the IPL.

"We talk about Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, but Rohit Sharma has not scored 700-800 runs in a season. In the IPL, he gets points for captaincy and experience, but when you compare him with Virat Kohli or some other batter, he doesn't score 600-700 runs. He scores in one or two matches and becomes the Man of the Match," Kaif said in his latest YouTube video.

"So, the biggest test for him this time is to cross the 500-run or 600-run mark. Sai Sudharsan scored 750 runs this time. So, Rohit Sharma would also want to score around 600 runs because he has gotten lean and is in good form. He will be very hungry for runs in this IPL," he added.

Kaif, who won the IPL in its inaugural season, playing for Rajasthan Royals, explained the importance of Jasprit Bumrah in the MI setup. The former India batter mentioned that the five-time champions struggled in the early goings of IPL 2025 when Bumrah was sidelined due to an injury.

"The biggest test for Mumbai, which was there last season too, was how many matches Bumrah can play. If Jasprit Bumrah is fit to play all matches, it's a different thing. He was not there for the initial matches, where Mumbai lost a lot. The absence of Bumrah was clearly visible. As soon as he came back, they won six-seven matches in a row. Bumrah is the backbone of Mumbai Indians."

Kaif said that RR co-owner Manoj Badale is based in the United Kingdom and mostly converses in English. The cricketer-turned-expert feels that Riyan Parag has climbed ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the pecking order due to his better communication skills.

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"Jaiswal is a little behind, possibly because Manoj Badale is UK-based and mostly speaks in English. Jaiswal's English is improving, but Parag has very good communication skills. It allows him to have direct conversations with the CEO and the coach. Sangakkara is likely to be their new coach, so if your coach and boss are not from India, they want to find someone with whom they don't face a problem in communication."