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India Test captain Rohit Sharma's poor form with the bat continued even in domestic cricket. Making a return to Ranji Trophy on Thursday after almost a decade, Rohit failed to shine as he was dismissed for just 3 runs on the opening day of Mumbai's match against Jammu and Kashmir at Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, Mumbai. The right-handed batter faced 19 deliveries before losing his wicket to pacer Umar Nazir Mir, extending his run of disappointing performances. As soon as Rohit got out, several disgruntled fans left the stadium, confirmed multiple media reports.
The flop batting performance also saw Rohit slip to a disappointing 19-year low. With the three-run knock, his batting average in the 2024/25 first-class season dipped to 10.43 in 16 innings. This is the lowest average for an Indian batter while batting for minimum 15 innings in the top six since 2006. It is worth noting that England's Haseeb Hameed tops the overall list with a poor average of 9.44 in 18 innings in the 2018 season.
Here is how Rohit got 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 seasoned opener managed just 31 runs in five innings across three Tests.
The 2024-25 Test season, in particular, was disappointing for Rohit. He accumulated only 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 victory in the first Test against Australia at Perth under the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit rejoined the team following the birth of his second child.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced the senior selection committee's decision regarding Rohit's inclusion on January 20.
Young southpaw Yashasvi Jaiswal who is Rohit's batting partner in red-ball cricket for India was dismissed early as well, he managed only 4 runs before being trapped LBW by Auqib Nabi. The duo's dismissals left Mumbai reeling during their first innings.
(With ANI Inputs)