Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal Train with Mumbai Ranji Team Ahead of J&K Clash
Team India captain Rohit Sharma and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal trained with the Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad on Wednesday at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC ahead of their upcoming match against Jammu and Kashmir.
Mumbai currently sits third in Group A, trailing Baroda and Jammu & Kashmir, who they will face on Thursday. For this fixture at BKC, Mumbai has included Rohit Sharma, who will play under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy. Jaiswal, India’s top performer in Australia, will also feature and is set to open the batting.
In addition to Rohit and Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, and Shardul Thakur have also been named in Mumbai’s squad, adding significant firepower to the lineup. However, their inclusion means tough selection decisions will have to be made. If Jaiswal and Rohit open the batting, Mumbai will have to decide the fate of 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, who has been a standout performer this season. Dropping Mhatre, despite his consistency across formats, would be a tough call.
Mumbai will be without Sarfaraz Khan, who is nursing a rib injury, and his brother Musheer Khan, who is recovering from a neck injury sustained in a road accident last September.
With Rohit and Jaiswal in the 17-member squad, a large crowd turnout is expected at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s BKC facility on match day.
As per BCCI’s directive, centrally-contracted players must participate in domestic cricket when available. Three other Test cricketers have also been named in Mumbai’s squad. Earlier this week, Rohit trained with the Mumbai team at Wankhede Stadium, while Delhi selectors included Virat Kohli in their provisional squad, though his availability remains uncertain.
Rohit last played for Mumbai in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. He endured a difficult Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 3, 9, 10, 3, and 6 during India’s 1-3 series defeat in Australia. He opted out of the final Test in Sydney, where Jasprit Bumrah led the team in his absence.
