Indian captain Rohit Sharma is expected to join the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team’s practice session on Tuesday at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. The seasoned batter has resumed training at the MCA-BKC ground to gear up for the upcoming Champions Trophy. However, his participation in Mumbai’s next Ranji Trophy league game against Jammu & Kashmir remains uncertain.
Rohit’s potential return to the domestic setup aligns with the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) emphasis on prioritizing domestic cricket, particularly the red-ball format, for national players. This shift follows India’s recent struggles, including a disappointing Test series loss to Australia and missing out on the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has been vocal about the significance of domestic cricket in building a strong foundation for Test success.
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“I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket. That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given. Not only one game, but if they are available and committed to playing red-ball cricket, everyone should participate in domestic cricket. If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the players you need for Test cricket,” Gautam Gambhir emphasized after India’s series defeat in Sydney.
CAPTAIN ROHIT SHARMA ARRIVED FOR PRACTICE. [RevSportz]
– Hitman will train with Mumbai Ranji team 👌 pic.twitter.com/gYZ8ABwt7w
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 14, 2025
For Rohit, this return could be pivotal in regaining his form. His last domestic red-ball match was in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. His recent performances in Australia were disappointing, with scores of 3, 9, 10, 3, and 6 across four Tests, averaging just 10.93.
“He will be joining the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team for practice sessions, but it hasn’t been decided if he’ll play the next game against J&K. He’ll inform the MCA soon,” an MCA source revealed.
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Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, who also had a challenging series in Australia, is slated to feature for Punjab in their clash against Karnataka, further highlighting the BCCI’s push for domestic participation to address technical and form-related issues.
