Chris Srikanth backed Rohit Sharma to a win against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 opener, pointing out the batsman’s record against the side.Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former India cricketer said that Rohit was often comfortable against KKR and he expects this trend to continue at the Wankhede Stadium.
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“KKR used to be like candy for Rohit Sharma a few years back. KKR was his candy team,” Srikanth said while speaking on his YouTube channel, as quoted by India Today website. Once KKR arrived, Rohit was in his comfort zone.”Mumbai Indians will take on KKR on Sunday, and Rohit is expected to play a key role in the summit. Meanwhile, KKR are likely to rely on Sunil Narine, who has had success against Rohit in the past.
Rohit’s numbers against KKR highlight his record in this match. He scored 1,083 runs against them at a strike rate of 127.86, including six half-centuries and one century. His highest score is an unbeaten 109 at Eden Gardens.At the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit made 238 runs against KKR at a strike rate of 120.81. However, his recent returns against them have been lower, with his final half-century coming against KKR in 2020.
Despite this, Rohit’s approach to T20 cricket has changed in the last two seasons. After maintaining a strike rate of about 133 between 2016 and 2023, he increased it to 150 in 2024 and 149.28 in 2025.Mumbai Indians will begin their campaign looking to end a five-year gap since their last title. The team last won the Indian Premier League in 2020 and won five titles between 2013 and 2020.In the previous season, the Hardik Pandya-led team finished third after losing to Punjab Kings in the second qualifier.The squad includes several players from India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad. Suryakumar Yadav, Pandya, Tilak Varma and Jasprit Bumrah form the heart of the attack as Mumbai Indians start their new season.
