India Test skipper Rohit Sharma’s poor form with the bat continues even at the domestic level where he made his return after a long 10 years on Thursday. Playing for Mumbai, the right-hander got out for just 3 runs in 19 balls against Jammu and Kashmir at MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, BKC, Mumbai.
Mumbai, led by Ajinkya Rahane, opted to bat first. Rohit’s last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was in 2015.
With Rohit set to play in the ODI series against England starting February 6, it is uncertain whether he will feature in Mumbai’s next Ranji Trophy match against Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, in-form Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s innings was cut short after just eight balls, as he was trapped LBW by an incoming delivery from Auqib Nabi for just 4 runs. Test No. 3 Shubman Gill also couldn’t make his mark for Punjab, managing only 11 runs against Karnataka, leaving the team struggling at 14 for 4.
After a disappointing run in the recent Test series against New Zealand and Australia, Rohit returned to domestic cricket following the BCCI’s mandate for players to participate in local competitions when not on national duty, to maintain form.
In particular, the 2024-25 Test season was dismal for Rohit. He garnered 164 runs in eight matches and 15 innings at an average of 10.93, with his highest score being 52–a solitary half-century against Bangladesh.
As captain, Rohit experienced some jaw-dropping lows. Just before the Test series against Australia, India suffered their first home Test series loss in 12 years, going down 0-3 to New Zealand. This was also India’s first-ever whitewash in a home Test series since 2000.