Rohit Sharma, unstoppable in the IPL

Deccan Chargers had the chance to retain Rohit Sharma at the IPL auction, but let him go, and paid the price on Sunday. Rohit was joined by another Deccan old boy, Andrew Symonds, with Mumbai wobbling at 70 for 4 in the 10th over, having lost three wickets for the addition of no run in six balls. They proceeded to pulverise their former side in a 102-run stand that came off just 65 balls. Mumbai followed the pyrotechnics of their Deccan imports with a typically clinical show in the field, to surge to a four-point lead at the top of the IPL table.

In reality, Deccan never recovered from the Rohit's show, especially the last two overs that bled 40 runs. Symonds began the closing brutality by smashing Dale Steyn's length bowling for two fours and a six in the penultimate over. Rohit then took over, flaying Daniel Christian for three sixes and a four in the 20th. Christian invited trouble by serving up two full tosses and two length balls at a hittable pace. Rohit, who finds a new plane when he is batting in the IPL, tucked in with huge blows down the ground, the last of which left Christian floored in his follow through.

Rohit's ability to play out of his skin in the IPL, and inability to translate it into results at the highest level will continue to be leveled as a criticism. Today, he was once again at the top of his game, moving the feet well, choosing his shots well and executing superbly.

The manner in which Rohit finished relegated Mumbai's middle-overs slump into the distant memory. Symonds and Rohit checked in cautiously as Mumbai went boundary-less for 40 balls, but switched gears rapidly thereafter. Rohit began the assault by sweeping Ojha for four before Symonds forehanded a short ball from Christian through long-off. With Rohit timing his drives particularly well, Ishant kept trying to tuck him up, but Rohit responded with a couple of strong pulls. Around that time, the owners of the Deccan Chargers franchise must have begun wondering if they had got it horribly wrong at the auction. By the end of the game, they must have been kicking themselves.