Mumbai Indians made one forced change for their Indian Premier League match against Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma was replaced by local batsman Siddhesh Lad.
The change was forced due to an injury picked up by Sharma during practice on Tuesday. The 31-year-old suffered a right leg muscle spasm. An official update from the MI camp stated that he had recovered significantly in the past 24 hours but was rested for the match as a precautionary measure.
“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,” said Mumbai’s stand-in captain Kieron Pollard after winning the toss and electing to field first on Wednesday.
As Pollard stated at the toss, Sharma’s absence paved the way for an interesting addition to Mumbai’s playing XI against the Kings XI. Lad was purchased by the three-time champions way back in 2015, but was handed his debut cap only on Wednesday.
Lad was purchased by Mumbai Indians in the same year the franchise bought Hardik Pandya. The two cricketers’ paths have, of course, not quite gone in similar directions since.
Having said that, Lad has done well to establish himself as a batting mainstay for his state side of Mumbai. The 26-year-old has played 49 First Class matches so far, having scored 3592 runs at an average of 43.27.
Lad is known as the ‘crisis man’ in Mumbai’s cricketing circles, after playing the anchor role for the domestic giants on multiple occasions over the past couple of seasons.
Siddhesh Lad's career statistics
| Matches | Runs | Average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Class | 49 | 3592 | 43.27 |
| List A | 31 | 1022 | 46.45 |
| T20s | 32 | 558 | 25.36 |
It’s also interesting to note that Lad’s father, Dinesh, is a cricket coach and mentored Sharma during his early days. Both Lad and Sharma went to the same school - Swami Vivekanand International School in Mumbai - where Lad Sr was the cricket coach.
Lad’s inclusion in the Mumbai Indians playing XI on Wednesday meant that Yuvraj Singh had to sit out once again. The experienced left-hander has scored 98 runs in four innings so far this season, with a 53 in Mumbai’s opening game against Delhi Capitals.
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