"I want India to be the powerhouse of world cricket" — Rohit Sharma's bold statement before MI vs RR IPL 2026

The former Indian captain, Rohit Sharma, who played nearly two decades for the national side, made a bold statement that he would want them to be the powerhouse of world cricket. He felt that the Indian cricket team had been moving strongly in the right direction both in terms of results and mindset. 

Rohit, who has been featuring for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, has given the country so much joy in the last two years, winning the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Rohit: “What we’ve done in the last 3 years has been superb — From the 2024 T20 World Cup to the ICC Champions Trophy”

Speaking during the Mumbai Indians’ ESA Day event, Rohit reflected on their remarkable success across formats and events in recent years, besides giving credit to the country’s growing cricketing structure for consistent performance at the global stage.

“I want India to be the powerhouse of world cricket…that is the bottom line, as I want India to be the best, and cricket is right up there. What we have done in the last three years has been superb to watch. From the 2024 World Cup, Women’s World Cup, U19 World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, and another T20 World Cup. I hope we continue our winning streak.” The Nagpur-born expressed.

The veteran also reflected on how the aggression of the modern-day players has pushed their games to greater heights.

“People have become more fearless, open-minded on how they should go about doing things, which is a good sign for the sport, game, and league. The players are not afraid to take a step forward rather than being conservative. In the coming years, too, that is how it will keep going; it will reach greater heights.” Rohit commented.

“It depends on age. I know there are kids ranging from six years to 18 years. You do not want to put too much pressure on the kid so early in their life. They should just be enjoying the sport, watching, and playing with their friends. That is how it all started for me.” The former Indian captain added.

283 runs in 8 matches at 160+ strike rate— Rohit is MI’s biggest weapon vs RR Tonight

Rohit was out of the IPL 2026 action for a few games due to a hamstring injury. Despite that, he went through a decent campaign with the bat, crossing the 250+ run mark. In eight innings of the season, he has smashed 283 runs at an average of more than 40 and a strike rate of over 160 with two fifties.

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From the very first season of the IPL, the right-handed Indian star has now crossed the 250+ runs in every single edition, which is a remarkable achievement. He will aim to sign off the season with a big score to entertain the home fans. 

Fully fit, fired up, and playing his final MI match of IPL 2026 —Can Rohit spoil RR’s playoff party?

Mumbai’s final league clash of the IPL 2026 will be against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on May 24 in the afternoon. The home side would only play for the pride and look to finish the season on a high note with a victory.

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Rohit will need to contribute at the opening position in this contest as the Royals eye to gain a victory and qualify for the Playoffs with their eighth victory of the edition. But the visitors will be well aware of the strong and fired-up batting line-up of the Mumbai side.