India Test captain Rohit Sharma's poor form with the bat continued even in domestic cricket. Rohit returned to the Ranji Trophy after almost a decade on Thursday and failed to shine as he was dismissed for just three runs on the opening day of Mumbai's match against Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA Cricket Ground. The right-handed batsman faced 19 deliveries before losing his wicket to pacer Umar Nazir Mir, extending his run of disappointing performances. As soon as Rohit stepped out, several disgruntled fans left the stadium, multiple media reports confirmed.
The flop batting performance also saw Rohit drop to a disappointing 19-year low. With the three-run knock, his batting average dropped to 10.43 in 16 innings in the 2024/25 first-class season. This is the lowest average for an Indian batsman who has been in the top six for at least 15 innings since 2006. It is worth noting that England's Haseeb Hameed tops the list with a poor average of 9.44 in 18 innings in the season 2018.
Here's how Rohit came out:
be serious omg pic.twitter.com/QuzZBrrLFM
— gauri (@bholibucket) January 23, 2025
In Test cricket, Rohit's recent performances have raised concerns about his form. During India's tour of Australia, the veteran opener scored just 31 runs in five innings across three Tests.
The 2024-2025 Test season was particularly disappointing for Rohit. He amassed just 164 runs in eight matches and 15 innings at an average of 10.93, with his highest score being 52, a solitary half-century against Bangladesh.
As captain, Rohit faced some significant challenges. Before the Test series against Australia, India suffered their first home Test series defeat in 12 years, losing 0–3 to New Zealand. This was also India's first-ever whitewash in a home Test series since 2000.
After India's 295-run win in the first Test against Australia in Perth under the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit rejoined the team after the birth of his second child.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced the senior selection committee's decision on Rohit's inclusion on January 20.
Young left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit's batting partner in red-ball cricket for India, was also dismissed early. He scored just four runs before being trapped LBW by Auqib Nabi. The duo's dismissals left Mumbai reeling in their first innings.
(With ANI inputs)
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