Rohit Sharma’s Ranji Trophy return was brief, as he lasted just 19 balls and scored three runs against Jammu and Kashmir in Mumbai’s Group A match at the Sharad Pawar Academy. India’s Test and ODI captain, struggling for form, drew significant attention leading up to the game after confirming his participation during the Champions Trophy squad announcement.
Opening alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mumbai reshuffled their lineup to accommodate Rohit, leaving out Ayush Mhatre, one of their top performers this season. On a cool winter morning, J&K’s bowlers made the most of favorable early conditions. Rohit, relaxed before the game, appeared focused as he walked out, but his innings never took off.
J&K’s Umar Nazir Mir and Auqib Nabi tested Rohit with disciplined lines. Mir, particularly, bowled two successive maidens, preventing any rhythm. Rohit’s only scoring shots came off Nabi – a single and a drive for two – before Mir dismissed him on his 17th ball. A delivery on the fifth stump moved slightly away, and Rohit’s attempted pick-up shot resulted in a leading edge to Paras Dogra at mid-off.
Rohit’s lean red-ball form persisted. Across the 2024-25 season, he averaged just 10.43 in 16 first-class innings – the second-lowest since 2006 for batters with at least 15 innings in the top six.
Earlier, Jaiswal fell to Nabi for 4, undone by a length ball that jagged back to trap him lbw. Despite a strong Border-Gavaskar Trophy performance, Jaiswal struggled here. Both dismissals left Mumbai reeling early in their innings.
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