IPL 2019: Injured Rohit Sharma is unlikely to take the field for Mumbai Indians on Wednesday ( Courtesy by BCCI ) Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma is likely to miss the upcoming match against Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday due to injury. Rohit was seen limping off the field holding his right thigh while running during a Mumbai Indians training session at Wankhede stadium on Tuesday. The extent of Rohit Sharma's injury is still not clear with Mumbai yet to confirm the news. But the move to rest Rohit is being seen as a precautionary measure with the Indian team selection for the upcoming World Cup just around the corner (April 15). After lumbering a few steps following what appeared like a muscle pull, Rohit lay flat on the ground holding his head in pain on Tuesday. Mumbai Indians physio Nitin Patel, who has also served as the physio of the Indian team in the past, rushed to attend the opener. The only bright side to the injury episode was Rohit did climb his way back to the dressing room on his own but gingerly after receiving some treatment at the ground. India Today Photo This is the second injury scare to an Indian World Cup prospect during IPL 2019 after leading speedster Jasprit Bumrah, also from Mumbai Indians, had hurt his left arm during the franchise's first IPL game of the season. At the time, the franchise physio had brought the injury to the attention of Team India physio Patrick Farhart and the duo collectively managed Bumrah's injury treatment. Fortunately, Bumrah recovered in time and did not have to miss any IPL match. The same protocol is expected to be followed in Rohit's case with physios from all the franchises told to bring forward any injury suffered by any of the Indian World-Cup prospects to the knowledge of Indian fitness support staff. Workload management continues to be the buzz word with only two and half weeks separating the IPL and the World Cup, slated to start in England on 30th of May. Also See:<doc-sep>Rohit Sharma, who would have played 134 consecutive matches for Mumbai Indians if he had been a part of the ongoing IPL 2019 match between Kings XI Punjab and MI, has been rested by the team management to give him time to recover from a muscle spasm. With World Cup 2019 around the corner, the India opener's unavailability has raised concerns from many quarters but stand-in captain Kieron Pollard said at the toss that Rohit has been rested only as a precautionary measure. A Mumbai Indians statement on Wednesday said, "Rohit Sharma had suffered right leg muscle spasm yesterday during training. Rohit has recovered significantly in past 24 hours. As a precautionary measure, Mumbai Indians management has decided to rest Rohit for one match vs KXIP." "Rohit is fine but as a precautionary measure we have decided to give him as a rest," stand-in captain Kieron Pollard said. India's World Cup squad is set to be announced on 15 April. This is the first time since Rohit Sharma made his debut for Mumbai Indians in 2011 that he is not part of an IPL match for the Mumbai franchise. He has played 133 consecutive matches for them, one short of Suresh Raina's 134 consecutive matches for Chennai Super Kings between 2008 and 2018. Promoted Since 2013, Mumbai Indians have gone in with a captain other than Rohit only thrice. Kieron Pollard led the team in three matches in the 2014 Champions League, when Rohit had fractured his finger. This is also only the second time that Rohit has been rested for an IPL match. The last time he had sat out for an IPL match had been the last league game of the 2008 IPL season, when he played for Deccan Chargers.<doc-sep>Rohit has played 165 successive IPL games. (Source: PTI) Rohit has played 165 successive IPL games. (Source: PTI) Rohit Sharma had to miss his first IPL game for Mumbai Indians since 2011 after being ruled out of the clash against Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday with a hamstring injury. Kieron Pollard, who has captained Mumbai Indians in three games in 2014, but in the Champions League T20, will be leading MI. After sitting out for the past four years, Siddhesh Lad finally makes his IPL debut. Rohit Sharma had suffered right leg muscle spasm on Tuesday during training. He had recovered significantly in the past 24 hours but as a precautionary measure, Mumbai Indians management has decided to rest Rohit for one match. Before the start of the IPL, a lot of debate was around the workload management of players, which will end few days before the ICC showpiece begins in the United Kingdom on May 30. Sharma’s injury scare comes days before the announcement of India’s 15-man World Cup squad. The World Cup will kickstart on May 30 in England, with India playing their first match against South Africa on June 5. Stand-in skipper Pollard won the toss for Mumbai Indians against KXIP and said, “We will bowl first because of the dew factor. We don’t think wicket will change much here at the Wankhede stadium. Rohit is fine but as a precautionary measure we have decided to give him as a rest. Siddhesh lad comes in place of Rohit. He has waited for 5 years to make his debut. Joseph was special for us in Hyderabad and it was a tough team meeting.” KXIP also made a couple of changes: Mayank Agarwal was replaced by Karun Nair because he could not recover from his finger injury. Hardus Viljoen replaced Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Teams: Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Siddhesh Lad, Quinton de Kock(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard(c), Hardik Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Alzarri Joseph, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah Kings XI Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Karun Nair, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller, Mandeep Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Sam Curran, Hardus Viljoen, Mohammed Shami, Ankit Rajpoot<doc-sep>
Rohit Sharma had been part of every Mumbai Indians playing XI since 2011. (Source: PTI) Rohit Sharma had been part of every Mumbai Indians playing XI since 2011. (Source: PTI) With a few days to go for the World Cup squad selection and about two months for India’s first match at the extravaganza, Rohit Sharma suffered an injury scare as he missed out on Mumbai Indians’ game against Kings XI Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. The MI captain limped out of a training session a day prior with muscle spasm. This is the first match Rohit has missed for Mumbai Indians in the IPL since he was traded in by the three-time champions in 2011 from the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. The last game he missed in the IPL goes way far back as against Chennai Super Kings on May 27, 2008. Rohit has thus played 165 successive IPL games (32 for Deccan Chargers and 133 for Mumbai Indians). His 133 consecutive appearances for MI is second only to Suresh Raina’s 134 games for a single franchise (Chennai Super Kings). MI released a statement on Rohit’s condition before the match got underway against KXIP. “Rohit Sharma had suffered right leg muscle spasm yesterday during training. Rohit has recovered significantly in past 24 hours. As a precautionary measure, Mumbai Indians management has decided to rest Rohit for one match,” the team management revealed in the statement. Rohit had scored 118 runs in five matches so far in the tournament with 48 his highest score. In his absence, Kieron Pollard took over the captaincy duties and led MI to a thrilling three-wicket win. Siddhesh Lad replaced Rohit in the playing XI after a wait of five years to get a chance. It was also the first time someone other than Rohit captained the Mumbai IPL franchise since Ricky Ponting did in 2013.