NEW DELHI: There was a wave of applause and cheers as star player Rohit Sharma made his way to the middle to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir at the BKC ground on Thursday.
However, Rohit’s stay at the crease was short-lived.
His long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy after nearly a decade came to a sudden and disappointing end. Facing an outside-off delivery from Umar Nazir, Rohit tried to play it on the leg side but ended up with a leading edge. PK Dogra made no mistake, taking a simple catch.
The Jammu and Kashmir players erupted in loud celebrations, fully aware of the significance of dismissing a player of Rohit’s stature. A disappointed Rohit walked back to the pavilion, his comeback innings cut short.
Rohit’s departure came shortly after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed LBW by J&K pacer Auqib Nabi for just 4 runs.
WATCH:
Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane had won the toss and opted to bat first on Thursday. This marked Rohit’s first Ranji appearance since 2015.
Following a tough run with the bat in recent Test series against New Zealand and Australia, Rohit’s decision to play for Mumbai was in line with the BCCI’s new mandate, requiring players to feature in domestic cricket when not on national duty to maintain match fitness.
The last time Rohit played a Ranji game for Mumbai, he scored a brilliant 113 while batting at No 4 in a drawn match against Uttar Pradesh.