India captain Rohit Sharma has not yet confirmed his availability for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match against Jammu and Kashmir, set to start on January 23. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has decided to approach Rohit Sharma directly to confirm his availability before finalizing the squad.
The 37-year-old has been under immense pressure following his form in recent Test series against New Zealand and Australia. He scored only 31 runs in the three Tests he played against Australia. The string of low scores led Rohit to exclude himself from India’s playing XI for the final Test match at the SCG.
No Formal Talks Between Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Cricket Association on Participation
Rohit Sharma is focused on improving his batting form after a poor run in recent matches. Sharma was seen batting alongside Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. He is expected to resume training soon, but it remains unclear if he will play in the upcoming Ranji Trophy match.
Speculation about Rohit’s retirement following the Border-Gavaskar series has been dismissed, as he wants to continue playing Test cricket. Despite attending a Mumbai Ranji practice session, no formal discussions have occurred between Rohit and the Mumbai Cricket Association regarding his participation.
Mumbai Cricket Association Selectors to Approach Rohit Sharma Regarding His Availability
The Mumbai Cricket Association wants to finalize and announce the Ranji Trophy squad on January 20. As part of the standard process, the selectors will confirm the availability of all players, including Rohit. An MCA official stated that Rohit will be approached regarding his availability.
“The selectors are expected to announce the squad on January 20, during which they will follow the due process of checking for the availability of every player. Rohit will also be approached around the time for selection,”a Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) official told PTI.
Young Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant have confirmed their availability for upcoming Ranji Trophy matches.
Jaiswal will represent Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir despite his impressive outing in Australia. Gill, who scored 93 runs in five innings during the Australia series, will play for Punjab in their match against Karnataka in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Pant will play his first Ranji match since the 2017-2018 season.
Rohit Sharma Had a Forgettable 2024 in Test Cricket
Rohit Sharma did well in the five-match home series against England earlier in 2024. The right-handed batter scored 400 runs, including two centuries, against England. However, his form dipped in the subsequent home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.
The Indian skipper managed to score only 133 runs in 10 innings, including just one half-century. His struggles continued in Australia, where he scored only 31 runs in five innings. By the end of the year, Rohit had scored 619 runs in 14 Tests at a modest average of 24.76.
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