Mumbai Indians recorded their third win of the season - their first in four games - and it inevitably raises the question of whether it is a case of the horse already having bolted. That debate, however, can be left for another day. Monday night was special at the Wankhede - vintage Mumbai Indians, vintage Rohit Sharma.

The home team executed a record chase against Lucknow SuperGiants in a clinical fashion, with Rohit at the centrestage. It was a well-rounded team effort and at the end of the match, there was another question - what if Rohit had not missed the last five games?

"What a player, what a player, what a player," Justin Langer raved about Rohit, who crafted an innings of rare artistry and brilliance in MI's six-wicket triumph. "I always knew, as an opposition player with the Australian team, and I now know as an opposition player with Lucknow Super Giants, what a player he is. And this is the brilliance of the IPL, that every night, on TV or at the ground, we watch some of the greatest talent on earth."

Rohit was slow off the blocks - 15 off 15 at a tepid strike rate of 100. Inevitably he shifted gears and fours and sixes flew off his bat as if he were playing a video game. He first exploded in the final over of the Powerplay, smashing Avesh Khan for 21 in the over, and then continued his freewheeling ways. It was clear that the sluggish start owed more to strategy than to the hamstring injury that had kept him out for three weeks.

"Don't worry about Rohit batting slowly at the start - that's just brilliance. I think it's genius because he had (Ryan) Rickelton at the other end going like a steam train. So that's a great partnership - very experienced batting from a wise old head," Langer explained. Rickelton, who struck 83 off 32 deliveries, was in top gear at the other end and Rohit focused on giving his partner the strike.

The cautious start can also be attributed to the match-up he had to counter. Aware of his vulnerability to left-arm pace, LSG deployed Mohsin Khan twice in the first four overs. The Lucknow bowlers also opted to bowl full rather than short or hard length deliveries, denying him opportunity to play his signature pull shots. Rohit had to recalibrate his shot-selection, targeting the long-on region by lofting the full length deliveries. A slower one off Avesh was one of rare short balls which he could pull over mid-wicket.

Some of his other shots were pure works of art, like the lofted stroke off Manimaran Siddharth that brought up his half-century - his second of the season (in six games). Then there was the flick over deep square leg off Mohammed Shami, which stood out for its style and elegance on a night when Rohit and Rickelton made a mockery of a 229-run target - incidentally Mumbai Indians' highest successful chase in the IPL. The previous highest was 221 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the same venue earlier this season.

"I think we complement each other really nicely as a left-hand, right-hand combination. We score in very different areas and are quite clear in our methods and who we want to put under pressure. So, yeah, we were obviously blessed with a really good wicket and a nice place to bat here at the Wankhede. It was enjoyable to get out there, and hopefully we can have many more such returns," Rickelton, who was declared Player of the match, said. Rohit and Rickelton added 143 for the first wicket in 10.5 overs.

"Picked his brain a little bit in my first year, just about batting in general - not necessarily T20, Test or 50-over batting, but more the mentality around it. And I think he's just built differently. Like I said, he's one of the greatest to play the game. It's not always life-changing advice that you get; it's stuff you've heard through different paths and phases as you work your way through the game.

"It's more about how he manages pressure, how he stays calm, how he backs his ability and understands his game really well. So, like I said, it's always really cool to go out there and bat with one of India's greatest, and hopefully I can continue to do it for some time to come," the South African said on what advice he gets from the senior pro.

After Rickelton departed, Rohit continued in his buccaneering vein. The highlight of his knock was that he did not need field restrictions to play his shots. His Powerplay strike rate was 180, thanks largely to that assault on Avesh Khan in the sixth over. Post Powerplay, it surged to 200. Similarly, overall, Rohit strikes at around 126 in the Powerplay but accelerates to over 175 thereafter - an indication of a cautious start and a blistering finish to an innings.

When Rohit got out at 177 for two, the game was in the MI bag. Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav and Will Jacks gave the finishing touches to the chase that was completed in 18.4 overs. It was one of MI's finest wins of the season.

"That's why the IPL is so great. Sometimes, we've been at the back end of some losses, and that's very frustrating. But this is a tough competition, and having the privilege to come and watch guys like Rohit, Nicky Pooran, Jasprit Bumrah every night -- it's a real privilege," Langer said.