IPL 2020: Rohit Sharma ignores Sourav Ganguly's advice against rushing back, leads Mumbai Indians against SRH

New Delhi, Nov 4: Mumbai Indians' captain Rohit Sharma surprised all when he walked into the middle to play his team's last league match in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on Tuesday (November 3) in Sharjah.

Rohit, who sustained a hamstring injury against Kings XI Punjab last month, missed four matches on the trot. The India vice-captain in limited-overs format wasn't included in any of the sides announced for the Australia tour and the selectors claimed the Mumbaikar's injury was a reason for not picking him up.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday, in an interview to PTI, cautioned Rohit against rushing back on the fielding unless he's 100% fit. But the Mumbaikar proved his fitness on the day and made a comeback on the pitch.

Talking about his fitness status at the toss, Rohit said: "Looks like I'm fit and fine". Rohit's knock, however, didn't yield any results as the right-handed batsman was dismissed for 4.

Earlier on Tuesday, the BCCI president suggested Rohit should not rush his comeback.

"You don't want him to get injured again. He has a hamstring tear and it will get ruptured again. It will then get longer for him to come back," Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI.

"But yes, there are people working with him. The Mumbai Indians physio is working with him. The Indian physio (Nitin Patel) is there. Rohit himself knows that he has got a long career ahead and it's not just this IPL or next series for him. I am sure he is mature enough to do what is best for him,"

Physio Patel, in consultation with a couple of other specialists, had suggested rest for three weeks. By that assessment, he would not have been available before the IPL final on November 10, but the Mumbai Indians captain returned to action a week earlier. It was on this expert advice that the selection committee didn't consider the 33-year-old while picking the three squads for the tour Down Under and said his fitness and recovery from injury will be closely monitored.

"The selectors were informed that Rohit will not be available for selection due to injury. He even submitted two expert doctors' advice who both said Rohit needs rest for two to three weeks," a BCCI official had said then.