Should Rohit Sharma take break from cricket like Virat Kohli? Sunil Gavaskar gives MI skipper suggestions

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Tuesday saw the defending champion Gujarat Titans (GT) hand the five-time title winners Mumbai Indians (MI) a humiliating loss at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

The Rohit Sharma-led team managed to score 152/9 in 20 overs while attempting to reach a mammoth total of 208. The Afghan spinners Noor Ahmad (3/37) and Rashid Khan (2/27) led GT's onslaught by splitting five wickets between them. 

After seeing MI's top-order collapse, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has said that star batsman Rohit Sharma needs a vacation.

The 'Hitman' was dismissed for 2 (8) by his counterpart Hardik Pandya and Gavaskar suggested that Rohit should focus more on the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final. He added that the MI skipper "looks a little preoccupied".

"I would like to see some change in the batting order [for Mumbai Indians]. Honestly, I would also say that Rohit should maybe also take a break for the time being, and keep himself fit for the World Test Championship [final]. [He can] come back again for the last few matches, but right now, [he should] take a little bit of a breather himself," Sunil Gavaskar said while talking to Star Sports as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

"He is looking just that little bit preoccupied. Maybe at this stage he is thinking about the WTC [final], I don't know," Gavaskar said. "But I do believe that at this stage he needs a little bit of a break, and come back for the last three or four matches so that he is in rhythm for the World Test Championship [final]."

It should be known that former India captain Virat Kohli had taken a break from cricket last year, following a lean patch with the bat.

He returned back for the Asia Cup 2022 and put on a classic Kohli performance and continued the same at the World Cup 2022 and now even at the IPL 2023 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Talking about the WTC Final, India announced their squad against Australia on Tuesday. Ajinkya Rahane has been recalled to the side, following his exploits in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) this season.

India squad for WTC final: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.

The final between India and Australia will be held from June 07 to June 11 at the Oval in London.