India’s star opener last played in the Ranji Trophy, the country’s premier domestic cricket tournament, back in 2015.
Discussions about the return of India’s top players to domestic cricket have been ongoing recently. Amidst this, Rohit Sharma has confirmed his participation in the Ranji Trophy. The Indian captain announced that he will make his comeback in the competition with the Jammu & Kashmir match, marking his first appearance in nearly a decade.
Mumbai is set to face Jammu & Kashmir at the Wankhede Stadium starting this Thursday. This will be Rohit’s first Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai since November 2015.
Rohit was present at a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday for the Champions Trophy squad announcement, where he was asked about his prospects of playing domestic cricket. The star opener replied, “Yes, I will play.”
India’s recent performance in Test cricket has been far from satisfactory. After a whitewash at home against New Zealand, they faced a 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy during the Australia tour. In both series, poor batting displays were the primary reason for India’s losses.
Rohit’s individual performance in Tests has also been underwhelming. In his last 15 innings, the right-hander has managed to score just one half-century, failing to cross 23 runs in any of the other innings. His struggles even led him to opt out of the final Test against Australia.
India’s consecutive series losses have sparked debates around senior players’ lack of commitment to domestic cricket. Former players and experts have criticized their mindset and dedication. The Indian board has also issued directives mandating players to participate in domestic tournaments.
Following the board’s orders, Rohit is set to restart his domestic career. However, there is ongoing discussion about the practicality of playing a red-ball match right before the Champions Trophy. Rohit addressed the concerns, stating that he has no issues adapting.
“This is nothing new for me. I’m used to switching formats, as this isn’t the first time. It’s been happening for a long time since players in all three formats have to adapt. Sometimes you prepare for red-ball cricket and then suddenly have to play T20s. It’s nothing new.”
Rohit has already started practicing with the Mumbai squad and will continue until the Jammu & Kashmir match begins. The Mumbai team is expected to announce its squad for the match on Monday.
It’s not just Rohit; other regular Test players like Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shubman Gill have also confirmed their participation in this round of the Ranji Trophy.
There were also talks about batting great Virat Kohli’s participation in the Ranji Trophy. However, he will not be returning to domestic cricket yet. Since the Sydney Test, Kohli has been dealing with a neck injury and has informed the board’s medical team that he has not fully recovered.
