IPL 2026: Hitman's return reignites Mumbai Indians' fading playoffs hopes
Rohit Sharma (Source: IPLT20.com)
Published - 05 May 2026, 05:34 AM• Read time - 3 mins
Mumbai Indians (MI) scripted their highest successful run chase in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) during Match 47 of the 2026 season on Monday, May 4, to beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by six wickets. It was a chase mastered by their veteran batter and former captain Rohit Sharma (84 off 44), along with his opening partner Ryan Rickelton (83 off 32).
The duo forged a massive 143-run stand off 65 balls, to lay the perfect platform for the historic chase as MI gunned down 229 with eight balls to spare. It wasn't the first time this season that the duo helped Mumbai script their highest successful chase. Earlier, Rohit and Rickelton stitched another century stand, adding 148 runs off 71 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their opening fixture, to chase down 221.
Wankhede roars on Hitman's return
Notably, Rohit missed five matches of the season after injuring his hamstring during MI’s fourth fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He finally regained fitness ahead of the game against LSG, and the Wankhede crowd gave a rapturous welcome to their ‘Hitman’.
Rohit’s impact was immediately seen as he played an integral part in snapping the team’s three-match losing streak. While MI has had a star-studded batting lineup throughout the season, it has failed to fire collectively. However, on Monday, the presence of one man solved most of their problems. As Rohit took his guard at the crease, fans were transported back in time with his majestic strokeplay.
The opener launched bowlers into the stands one after the other, wielding his willow with utmost ease, and a sense of calm pervaded in the MI camp. Having carved his name in the IPL folklore after guiding MI to a joint-record five IPL titles under his leadership, Rohit’s return was much needed for the team that desperately needed to get out of its misery.
MI eye another great escape
Despite having one of the strongest squads on paper, MI are sitting at the ninth spot on the IPL 2026 points table with just six points from ten matches. The five-time champions can’t afford any more lapses going forward, as another loss would effectively end their campaign.
With just four matches remaining in their league stage, MI still have an outside chance of making it to the playoffs by scripting another one of their miraculous comebacks.
Only two teams have managed to qualify for the IPL playoffs after losing six or more of their first eight matches, with one being MI in 2014, while the other RCB in 2024.
