Rohit Sharma Returns to Ranji Trophy After a Decade for Mumbai's Match Against J&K Next Week

After the meeting with BCCI officials, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma confirmed in the press conference that he will play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy against Jammu & Kashmir. The match is scheduled for next week in Mumbai.

During the Indian team squad announcement of the ICC Champions Trophy in a press conference with the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar along with Rohit Sharma one reporter asked Rohit about his participation in the Ranji Trophy, Rohit said: “Yes, I’ll play,” 

The BCCI officials made some strict rules, that every player should play domestic cricket when they are available. In November 2015 Rohit played his last Ranji Trophy against Uttar Pradesh in Wankhede Stadium. Also, he explained why he had not participated in recent domestic matches.

“If you look at our schedule over the last 6-7 years, there’s hardly been a time when I’ve been at home while cricket is happening. After the IPL, there’s usually a short gap, but our domestic season starts in September and goes on until February or March, which is also when India plays a lot of matches,” Rohit explained.

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He added, “For players who aren’t involved in all formats, they might find time to play domestic cricket. But for me, since I started playing Test cricket regularly in 2019, it’s been tough to find that time. Playing international cricket throughout the year can be exhausting, and you need some time off to recharge, clear your mind, and prepare for the next season.”

The team management also takes some steps to ensure that players don't take domestic cricket lightly, if players don't participate in domestic cricket the management will take action against them Rohit mentioned in that press conference “We’ve discussed this and no one takes it for granted. Decisions are made based on how much cricket a player has played, how much rest they need, and what’s best for them. Now, it’s mandatory to play domestic cricket if there’s time available,” he said.

Recently Rohit Sharma was seen in training with Hardik Pandey at Reliance Corporate Park in Navi Mumbai. Some big players were also now playing the Ranji matches for their states. Jaiswal, Gill, Jadeja, and Pant have informed their teams to play Ranji Trophy matches. Virat and KL may not play due to injuries.

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