Image: Rohit Sharma returned to Mumbai Ranji Trophy training for the first time since 2015 / © News9Live
India’s captain and one of the stalwarts of Indian Cricket, Rohit Sharma, recently joined Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy team for a practice session at Wankhede Stadium. This marks his first appearance with Mumbai since 2015, and he was seen batting alongside Mumbai’s captain, Ajinkya Rahane.
Rohit’s decision to participate in the practice session follows his underwhelming performance in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he scored just 31 runs in 5 innings. He also opted out of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, after a series where he struggled to find form, managing only low scores: 3, 9, 10, 3, and 6. Regarding the domestic cricket, Gambhir said:
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 have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket. It’s as simple as it can get. If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players that you want in Test cricket.
His return to domestic cricket has sparked curiosity regarding whether he will feature in Mumbai’s upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir. This emphasis on domestic cricket highlights the importance of such tournaments for players’ preparation, as emphasized by India’s coach Gautam Gambhir.