IPL 2021, MI vs RR: 3 best Rohit Sharma knocks against Rajasthan

Rohit Sharma will be in action on Thursday afternoon when the Mumbai Indians (MI) take on the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Arun Jaitley Stadium. The two-time defending champions did not have a memorable Chennai leg in IPL 2021 and will be keen to make amends for their underwhelming start to the tournament.

The Mumbai Indians could only register two wins in their five matches at MA Chidambaram Stadium. However, they will have the opportunity to make a fresh start in Delhi on Wednesday. The pitch at Arun Jaitley Stadium looked good for batting during the game between the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Chennai Super Kings.

A similar deck could be on offer for the fixture between the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals. Rohit Sharma has scored 201 runs in five matches at Chepauk and fans can expect a big inning from him when he gets to play in batsman-friendly conditions.

Over the years, MI skipper Rohit Sharma has played some superb knocks against the Rajasthan Royals. Here are his top three batting performances against the inaugural IPL winners.

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3. 49 (35) - Ahmedabad, IPL 2010

Rohit Sharma in action during IPL 2010

Rohit Sharma played the first three IPL seasons for the Deccan Chargers (DC) team. The right-handed batsman was one of the top match-winners for the Chargers, and helped DC post a respectable score on the board in their away fixture against the Rajasthan Royals during the 2010 season.

The visitors won the toss and elected to bat in Ahmedabad. However, the top-order batsmen could not get going for DC. Rohit Sharma came out to bat at number five and took the score from 58/3 to 138/8, scoring 49 runs off 35 deliveries.

Although none of the Chargers batsmen could support him in the middle, Rohit troubled the RR bowlers by smashing two fours and three sixes. Unfortunately, his knock ended in a losing cause.

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2. 40 (19) - Ahmedabad, IPL 2014

Rohit Sharma blasted a 19-ball 40 against the Royals

Rohit Sharma was the full-time captain of the Mumbai Indians in 2014. After a disastrous performance in the competition's UAE leg, MI gained momentum in India. They locked horns with the Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad on May 19, 2014.

Rohit called the toss right and decided to bat. Michael Hussey and Lendl Simmons' brilliant batting took MI past 120, and Sharma provided the finishing touch with a fantastic 19-ball 40.

His innings comprised three fours and four sixes. The momentum was in MI's favor heading into the second innings, and they won the game by 25 runs.

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1. Rohit Sharma's best knock against the Rajasthan Royals in IPL

Rohit Sharma plays a shot against KKR

Fans may be surprised to learn that Rohit Sharma's best performance versus the Royals could not help his team win the match. It was during the 2010 season, when the Deccan Chargers hosted the Rajasthan Royals in Nagpur.

The Royals batted first and posted a 159-run total on the board. Chasing 160 to win, DC kept losing wickets at regular intervals. However, Rohit Sharma held one end and played a magnificent knock of 73 runs. He hit eight fours and two sixes in his 44-ball stay at the crease.

Sharma took his team close to the target but lost his wicket on the penultimate ball of the contest. He came out to bat at number three and stayed until the end.

With just one wicket in hand, the Deccan Chargers needed three runs to win when Rohit handed a catch to Abhishek Raut off Siddharth Trivedi's bowling. His 73-run knock could not help his team secure two vital points.