Anil Kumble Praises Rohit’s Explosive 78 vs KKR: “Rohit Sharma 2.0 is Here”

Anil Kumble praised Rohit Sharma’s 78 off 38 vs KKR, calling it a 2.0 version of the MI star and warning IPL teams after his return in IPL 2026.

Anil Kumble praised Rohit Sharma after his strong performance against the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026. Mumbai Indians chased 221 in their opening match of the season. Rohit scored 78 off 38 balls at the top. He shared a 148-run opening stand with Ryan Rickelton in 72 balls. The partnership set the platform for the chase. MI won their first opener since 2012.

Kumble highlighted Rohit’s aggressive batting against quality bowlers. He noted the ease with which Rohit cleared boundaries. Kumble also pointed to improvements in Rohit’s fitness levels. He said timing usually takes 5 to 7 days after a break. However, Rohit looked in rhythm from the start.

“Rohit Sharma seems to have arrived in his 2.0 avatar, and his innings showed he is ready to dominate again. The way he hit the ball all around the ground reminded me of his prime. It is not easy to hit sixes against bowlers like Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine and Blessing Muzarabani, but he made it look easy,” Kumble said during a conversation on JioStar.

“He has worked a lot on his fitness, and when you come back after a short break, it takes five to seven days to get your timing back and find your rhythm. This was a fantastic innings, very similar to what we have seen at Wankhede where he takes on the bowlers from the first ball. The six-hitting looked easy, and even though the boundaries were small, those shots were going into the stands. This knock shows that Rohit means business and this version of him will worry all IPL teams,” he added.

READ ALSO | MI Coach Explains Suryakumar Yadav Impact Sub Call in IPL 2026

Rohit has led the Mumbai Indians to three more titles in 2017, 2019 and 2020. He reached a total of 5 IPL trophies as captain. This record placed him alongside MS Dhoni. Both captains became the joint-most successful leaders in IPL history.