Team India captain Rohit Sharma struggled on his much-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy. The opening batter was dismissed for three runs off 19 balls for Mumbai on Day 1 (Thursday, January 23) of their group-stage match against Jammu and Kashmir.
Rohit had made himself available for the first-class fixture amid uncertainty over his red-ball future and the BCCI’s new domestic cricket guidelines. He missed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 final in Sydney but had stated that retirement is not on his mind.
Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and chose to bat first. Rohit opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was dismissed for four runs after being trapped LBW by Auqib Nabi in the third over. Rohit struggled to get going, attempting some expansive cut shots but failing to connect.
He was eventually dismissed while attempting a hoick off a back-of-the-length delivery from Umar Nazir. The batter got into an awkward position, lacking proper footwork, and made a poor connection, resulting in a leading edge that looped to the fielder at mid-off.
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— 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) January 23, 2025
Fans leaving BKC venue after the wicket of Rohit Sharma in this Ranji Trophy. (RevSportz).pic.twitter.com/UqlQWPYrKq
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 23, 2025
Mumbai were reduced to 12/2 in the sixth over after Rohit Sharma’s dismissal. The defending champions aim to steady the innings with Hardik Tamore and Ajinkya Rahane at the crease.
India’s Test Batters Face Challenging Return to Ranji Trophy
Rohit Sharma’s Ranji Trophy comeback was brief, as he managed only three runs off 19 balls in Mumbai’s Group A match against Jammu and Kashmir at the Sharad Pawar Academy in BKC, Mumbai.
Rohit Sharma struggled against J&K’s Umar Nazir Mir, who kept him quiet with disciplined bowling. After 19 balls, Rohit fell to a length delivery, miscuing a shot to mid-off where Paras Dogra completed the catch.
Before Rohit got out, Jaiswal was dismissed. Nabi bowled well against the left-handed batter, making a few deliveries move away. One of those narrowly missed Jaiswal’s bat, prompting a quiet appeal that was turned down.
On the next ball, the third of the third over, Nabi bowled a length delivery that sharply cut back in. It caught Jaiswal off-guard, beating his inside edge and hitting him on the back leg right in front of the stumps.
Since he was deep in the crease, the umpire quickly gave him out. Jaiswal, one of India’s standout performers in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, had to walk back with just 4 runs.
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