Mumbai: There is little to doubt Rohit Sharma’s prowess as a powerful opening batsman for India in T20 internationals, with almost 70 per cent of his runs coming at the top of the order.

Unsurprisingly, he is keen to replicate this success for Mumbai Indians as well, announcing his intention to open the innings in the upcoming ninth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rohit enjoyed a phenomenally successful IPL in 2015; not only did he lead his team to their second title, outplaying arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings, he was also among the top run-getters with 482 runs, second only to teammate Lendl Simmons. And last year, it was Simmons and Parthiv Patel who opened the batting for Mumbai, with Rohit bolstering the middle order.

This year, he is looking to go one better. “I would like to open, at least in the initial games. We will see where we stand after the first few games. We have got a great set of batsmen in our squad, so there is a bit of a headache about whom to pick in the XI,” Rohit said at a Mumbai Indians press conference on Thursday.

However, his position will also depend on the team’s combination.

“A lot depends on what sort of balance we need. As captain, it’s my responsibility to go on to the field with the right combination. I would prefer to start opening the innings initially, but we will see where I stand and will take it from there,” he added.

The right combination will be critical for the defending champions, especially considering how they started their last campaign with a string of defeats before making a stunning comeback. And, the captain isn’t keen to repeat the necessity of that dramatic turnaround.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2016