NEW DELHI: Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma trained with the Mumbai squad on Tuesday as they gear up for the Ranji Trophy‘s resumption on January 23.
While it remains uncertain whether Rohit will feature in Mumbai’s upcoming fixture against Jammu and Kashmir, the Team India opener has been grappling with a lean patch in recent months.
During the recently concluded series against Australia, India’s top batters, including Rohit Sharma, struggled to deliver significant performances. Rohit managed just 31 runs across five innings in three Tests, with his highest score in the series being 10.
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Rohit’s poor run of form led him to “sit out” of the fifth Test in Sydney. Recently, TimesofIndia.com reported that he had made up his mind about retiring from Test cricket after the MCG Test. However, as per the report, Rohit’s “well-wishers” persuaded him to continue playing the longest format of the game.
Considered a key batter ahead of the tour, Virat Kohli also struggled to find form in Test cricket for Team India. Starting strong in Perth with a century in the second innings of the opening Test, the 36-year-old batter could muster only 190 runs throughout the series. His struggles against deliveries outside the off-stump were evident, drawing widespread criticism.
With both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli struggling in Tests, fans and cricket experts worldwide have suggested that the star batters return to domestic cricket, particularly the Ranji Trophy, to regain their form.
ALSO READ: ‘Well-wishers’ urged Rohit Sharma to not retire, decision upset Gautam Gambhir
On that note, here’s a look at when the players from the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last featured in India’s premier domestic competition.
When members of the Indian Test squad played their last Ranji Trophy match
- Rohit Sharma: Represented Mumbai against Uttar Pradesh in Mumbai in November 2015; scored 113 runs.
- Jasprit Bumrah: Played for Gujarat against Jharkhand in Nagpur in January 2017; returned figures of 1/103 and 6/29.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal: Represented Mumbai against
Maharashtra in Mumbai in January 2023; scored a first-ball duck and 14. - Shubman Gill: Played for Punjab against Madhya Pradesh in Alur in January 2022; scored 9 and 19.
- Virat Kohli: Played for Delhi against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad in November 2012; scored 14 and 43.
- Abhimanyu Easwaran: Represented Bengal against Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow in October 2024; scored 5 and an unbeaten 127.
- KL Rahul: Played for Karnataka against Bengal in Kolkata in March 2020; scored 26 and 0.
- Sarfaraz Khan: Played for Mumbai against Bihar in Patna in January 2024; scored 1 run.
- Dhruv Jurel: Represented Uttar Pradesh against Kerala in Alappuzha in January 2024; scored 63.
- Ravindra Jadeja: Played for Saurashtra against Tamil Nadu in Chennai in January 2023; took 1/48, 7/53, and scored 15 and 25.
- Mohammed Siraj: Represented Hyderabad against Vidarbha in Hyderabad in February 2020; returned figures of 1/91, 1/37, and scored 22 and 46.
- Akash Deep: Played for Bengal against Kerala in Thumba in February 2024; claimed figures of 1/65 and scored 4 and 1.
- Prasidh Krishna: Represented Karnataka against Madhya Pradesh in Indore in October 2024; recorded bowling figures of 1/20.
- Harshit Rana: Played for Delhi against Assam in Delhi in October 2024; took 5/80 and 2/61 and scored 59.
- Nitish Kumar Reddy: Represented Andhra against Gujarat in Ahmedabad in October 2024; took 1/48 and scored 47 and 34.
- Washington Sundar: Played for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in Delhi in October 2024; scored 152 and took 3/43 and 3/45.
- Rishabh Pant: Represented Delhi against Vidarbha in Indore in December 2017; scored 21 and 32.
(Stats courtesy: Rajesh Kumar)
