India stars Rohit, Jaiswal, Pant and Gill fail on return to domestic cricket

ND Prashant
23 Jan 2025
22:29

Experts had asked top players of the Indian men's cricket team to play in the domestic First-class tournament Ranji Trophy to regain their form following embarrassing collapses the team suffered during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy series played in Australia.

Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also made it mandatory for all national team members and contracted players to play domestic cricket if they are fit.
With India barely managing to cross 150 runs in the majority of their first innings in the five-Test series, former stars like Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, and Yuvraj Singh have advised them to return to the four-day Ranji Trophy competition to play for their respective state teams and regain form.

Ravi Shastri in a podcast for the ICC
If there's a gap for them, I think they should go back and play some domestic cricket. When you play Test match cricket for that length of time, it's important to play domestic cricket for two reasons: You are abreast with the current generation, and you can contribute to that young generation with your experience.
Yuvraj Singh, the hero of India's triumph in the 2011 World Cup
Domestic cricket is important. I have always felt if you have time and if you are not performing, you should definitely come and play domestic cricket. That is the best way to get practice and game time. I feel domestic cricket is very important if you have the time and if you are not injured.

Following their advice, some of the stars made themselves available for the sixth round of Ranji Trophy matches which started on Thursday.
However, things did not work out for India captain Rohit Sharma, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant as they all got out for single-digit scores for their respective state teams.
At the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground in Bandra-Kurla Complex, Mumbai, Rohit’s much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy after ten years was short-lived, lasting just 19 balls as he was dismissed for just three runs by J&K fast-bowler Umar Nazir.

Rohit was troubled by Nazir, bowling with discipline and accuracy, and faced consecutive maiden overs before edging behind a length delivery outside off as he went for a pull and was caught at extra cover. This dismissal extended Rohit’s lean patch in red-ball cricket after he averaged only 10.93 in the 2024/25 Test season for India.
Things were not much different for Jaiswal as he fell for four to Auqib Nabi, who exploited the morning nip to the fullest and trapped the left-handed lbw with a sharp delivery jagging back in. Mumbai were eventually all out for 120 runs in their first innings.

In Bengaluru, opening for Punjab, Gill was dismissed for four off eight balls after being caught behind on the bowling of Karnataka pacer Abhilash Shetty, as the visitors were dismissed for just 55 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
At the Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground in Rajkot, playing his first Ranji Trophy game since December 2017, Rishabh Pant’s stay at the crease was short as he scored just one run off 10 balls for Delhi against Saurashtra. In an attempt to sweep off Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Pant fell off balance and was caught at deep square leg.

There was one good performance for a national team player as allrounder Ravindra Jadeja took 5-66 in 17.4 overs as Saurashtra bowled out Delhi for 188.
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill will now look forward to batting well in the second innings and getting back their form ahead of India's upcoming tour of England in June-July this year.

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