IPL 2022: Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan hitting the ball well – Mahela Jayawardene defends top-order woes

Mumbai Indians have played seven matches so far in the ongoing season of the IPL and they have lost all of them. One of the key reasons for their failure has been their top-order, which hasn’t fired for them.

Ishan Kishan played a couple of good knocks in the first few matches but he hasn’t been able to carry the same form.

Furthermore, Kishan hasn’t been able to score his runs at an impressive strike rate, for which he is mostly known. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has been getting off to starts but hasn’t been able to convert them into substantial scores.

Both MI openers were dismissed without troubling the scorers against defending champions Chennai Super Kings at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Thursday. Rohit was dismissed on the second ball he faced as he ballooned the ball to Mitchell Santner at mid-on. Subsequently, Ishan Kishan was castled by a peach of a delivery from Mukesh Chaudhary.

However, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene played down top-order concerns of the team as he revealed both of these openers are hitting the ball well in the practice sessions.

“It’s been a bit up and down, to be honest. Ishan batted really well in the first couple of games. And then a bit of a slide. Ro has been hitting the ball really well, he gets good starts. 15-20 runs, he looks good, and then he has not been able to convert,” Jayawardene told the press after MI’s defeat to CSK.

“When that happens, when you get out early, you feel nothing is going your way. I have been a batter and that’s part and parcel of the game. You know I will be concerned when they are not hitting the ball well or if they don’t have the confidence but both of them have been batting well out there and in the nets.

“You need to back the ability and give them confidence. These are guys who have played a lot of IPL games, and understand what needs to be done. It will turn around. Get in every day, go through the processes and work hard.”

As MI’s top order has failed to deliver the goods for the five-time champions, it has put pressure on their inexperienced duo of Dewald Brevis and Tilak Varma, who both have impressed with their batting skills.

MI will next take on Lucknow Super Giants on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.