Rohit Sharma, ODI and Test captain for India, confirmed that he would play for Mumbai in their Ranji Trophy match, scheduled from January 23 at MCA Cricket Ground in Maharashtra. Rohit last played Ranji Trophy for his state at Wankhede Stadium in November 2015 in a match against Uttar Pradesh.
“I will (play, said Rohit on Saturday as India launched their squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in a function attended by skipper Ajit Agarkar and chairman of selectors on Saturday.
After India’s subpar performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, the BCCI conducted a review meeting and issued ten directives by the Board for the centrally contracted players of the country, which included making participation in domestic tournaments a precondition to selection into the national team.
He said: “The last 6-7 years if you look back at our calendar, I wouldn’t have the time when we were sitting here at home for 45 days and cricket went on inside this country. Now you will be getting that bit of time just after IPL finished and there isn’t something in domestic happening next to that.(laughs).”.
“But if you see our domestic season, it starts in October, maybe September, and gets over by February-March and that is the time India plays a lot of cricket as well. So, guys who are not playing certain formats and have time, and then there is domestic cricket happening, then they will play.”.
“But (in) the last 6-7 years, I can at least tell about what has happened with me since I’ve started playing Test cricket regularly, which is from 2019, you hardly have any time in hand and then, when you play so much international cricket through the year, you need some time off as well as a cricketer just to refresh, get your mind right, just to be ready for the upcoming season.”
Rohit was seen in trouble in the recently concluded five-Test series against Australia. Rohit could score only 31 runs in three Test matches as Australia beat India 3-1 to qualify directly for the championship of the WTC.
