Rohit, who has been known as an 'IPL specialist' smashed three fours and five sixes as the home team put up a sizeable total on a flat track at the Wankhede Stadium.
Sachin Tendulkar (44) and Dinesh Karthik (41, 29 balls, 4x4, 1x6) also made significant contributions.
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But it was Rohit, who went all-out in the final few overs helping Mumbai Indians amass 109 runs in the back 10 after having scored 72 at the halfway stage. With Ashoke Dinda (0/63 in 4 overs) leaking runs with monotonic regularity, MI managed 68 in the final five overs. Rohit and Kieron Pollard (19 no) added those runs in only 4.5 overs.
Dinda, in fact, has now equalled the worst bowling figure in the IPL history alongside Varun Aaron.
Tendulkar was in his element as he looked in a mood to enthrall the packed crowd with his dazzling strokeplay.
Four consecutive boundaries off Ashoke Dinda, followed by a huge six off Rahul Sharma, showed that the legendary batsman wanted to make it count after failing in the earlier games.
But his attractive innings of 44 was cut short by part-time left-arm slow bowler Aaron Finch. Tendulkar hit seven fours and a six in his 29-ball knock.
The pair of Tendulkar and skipper Ricky Ponting (13) posted the 50-run opening partnership in 6.3 overs, but the bulk of runs were scored by the former. His onslaught against Dinda set the ball rolling.
Ponting however didn't get going and, apart from a pulled boundary off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first over, he had nothing to show for. Pune Warriors made the first breakthrough when Yuvraj Singh drew the former Aussie skipper out of his crease, but he didn't reach to the pitch of the delivery and was caught at backward point by Bhuvneshwar.
Karthik started off from where he had left against Delhi Daredevils the other day. A couple of boundaries off Yuvraj and a pulled six off rival captain Angelo Mathews got him off the blocks.