IPL 2021: Why is Rohit Sharma not playing today's MI vs CSK match?

In a significant blow to the Mumbai Indians just before phase two of IPL 2021, skipper Rohit Sharma missed out on the playing XI of the side's curtain raiser against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.

The opening batter suffered a strain on his left knee during the fourth match of the India-England Test series. Although he had exuded confidence to recover before the now-cancelled fifth Test, he is apparently not 100% fit yet.

In fact, Rohit was spotted undergoing a fitness test in Dubai but didn't look in rhythm.

Kieron Pollard, who is replacing him as captain, said in the pre-match statement that Rohit Sharma was "okay" and will be back for the next match.

"Rohit is okay, he'll be fine sooner rather than later, I'm just the captain for today. We started a couple of months back, and we were just starting to build the momentum with a couple of wins."

MI lost the toss and CSK captain MS Dhoni opted to bat first in Dubai. Rohit Sharma's loss is a big blow for the team not only because of his captaincy, but also owing to his recent form.

The 34-year-old was India's top-scorer in England and the only centurion after KL Rahul.

In the first half of the IPL as well, his performance was much-improved than the previous seasons. In seven innings, mostly on difficult Chennai wickets, he amassed 250 runs at an average of over 35, striking at 128.21.

Who has replaced Rohit Sharma in today's game?

Pollard announced debutant Anmolpreet Singh as Rohit Sharma's replacement for the match. The 23-year-old right-handed batter hails from Punjab and can be explosive at the top of the order.

He has featured in 33 domestic T20s so far, scoring over 485 runs at an average of 19.39.