Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane has shown strong support for Rohit Sharma as he prepares to play his first Ranji Trophy match since November 2015. Mumbai will face Jammu and Kashmir in their 2024-25 Ranji Trophy game starting January 23.
Rohit, 37, has struggled in red-ball cricket, posting a poor average of 6.20 in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. In his last 15 Test innings, he scored only 164 runs at an average below 11 with just one half-century.
Speaking ahead of Mumbai's next outing, Rahane expressed confidence in his teammate. "Rohit is Rohit. We all know that. You also know Rohit's character. I am really happy to have both of them back in the Mumbai dressing room," Rahane said.
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Rahane praised Rohit's relaxed approach to the game. "His attitude is pretty much relaxed. He knows his game really well so no one has to tell him what he needs to do. Once he gets in, I’m sure he will do well. He has never changed which is a very good thing."
Mumbai, aiming for a record 43rd Ranji Trophy title, are currently in third place in Group A with 22 points from five matches. Rahane mentioned that Rohit might only play in this round of the Ranji Trophy and could miss Mumbai's final group-stage match against Meghalaya, set for January 30 to February 2.
While Rohit is not part of India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against England, he is expected to return to captain the team for the ODI series starting February 6. Rahane added that Rohit's inputs in the next four days will be crucial, saying, "He is hungry, he is determined to do well. I am sure once he gets in, he will get a big one." Rahane also mentioned that Rohit had batted well in practice sessions, showing confidence in his teammate’s abilities.
