India, April 24 -- Until four nights back, Rohit Sharma was having a middling to poor IPL 2025. Six innings had produced just 82 runs at an average of 13.67; he had a highest of 26, and even though he was scoring at 143.86 with six fours and as many sixes, these weren't the returns expected of the former captain, of the best batter in the team, of the man expected to set the tone at the start of the innings.

But each of Rohit's innings had been larger than the previous one. Having started the tournament with a four-ball duck against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, he built up a slow head of steam - slow being the operative word. Eight against Gujarat Titans was followed by 13 against Kolkata Knight Riders, in the five-time former champio...