Mumbai, January 18: Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, announced on Saturday his readiness to participate in Mumbai’s upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir. However, he emphasized the importance of allowing time away from an intensive schedule despite the high demand for star players in domestic cricket.
He further remarked that no athlete should overlook the significance of the premier domestic red-ball tournament.
Mumbai is set to face Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA-BKC Ground when the Ranji Trophy resumes on January 23.
During a press conference at the BCCI headquarters, Rohit affirmatively addressed inquiries regarding his availability for the match.
The India captain noted, “In the past 6-7 years, looking at our calendar, we haven’t had the luxury to be at home for 45 days while cricket is happening. You get some respite only after the IPL ends.”
“Our domestic season runs from October until March. Players not competing in all formats can participate in the domestic tournaments when they occur.
“Personally, ever since I started playing Test matches regularly in 2019, time off has been a rarity. When you engage in international cricket consistently, it’s essential to take breaks to recharge. Nobody takes that for granted.”
At 37 years of age, Rohit has dismissed the idea of retiring from Tests, despite scoring just one fifty in his last 15 innings in the format. He practiced with the Mumbai squad at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday ahead of the second phase of the Ranji Trophy.
India dropped their out-of-form captain for the final Test in Australia at the SCG after he struggled as both an opener, which is his usual position, and a middle-order batsman.
