In a massive boost to Team India’s Champions Trophy 2025 chances, new vice-captain Shubman Gill has returned to form. Playing against Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy tie in Bengaluru, Gill slammed a stunning hundred for Punjab, though his side lost the game. Elsewhere, the star-studded Mumbai Ranji Trophy team suffered a shock five-wicket defeat to Jammu & Kashmir at BKC.
J & K WIN! 👏👏
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 25, 2025
Abid Mushtaq finishes it off in style with a 6⃣ 💥
J & K beat Mumbai by 5 wickets, chasing down 205 👌
What a crucial & fantastic victory for them! 🔥#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/oYXDhqotjO pic.twitter.com/SG0Ni1n9ZO
For Mumbai, CT-bound players failed, but out-of-favour all-rounder Shardul Thakur impressed everyone with a second-inning hundred.
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Upon returning to domestic cricket following a horrid tour Down Under, Gill opened for Punjab, scoring a mere four. With the visiting side trailing behind by over 400 runs in the second innings, Gill hit a resilient 102 off 171 balls, hitting 14 fours and three sixes.
The right-handed batter looked out of touch during his second tour Down Under, scoring just 93 runs from five innings. Though he missed the series opener with a thumb injury he sustained in the lead-up to the Perth Test, the selectors dropped him for his poor run with the bat for the Boxing Day Test, which India lost.
J&K beat Mumbai
On the other side, Mumbai tumbled to a five-wicket loss at the hands of the touring J&K side. Despite having heavyweights like Rohit Sharma, captain Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal and even Shardul Thakur in their ranks, Mumbai failed to defend the total.
Chasing over 200, J&K completed the chase with five wickets remaining, sealing their knockout berth. Also, it was their first win over the 42-time champions in over a decade, having last won against Mumbai in December 2014 at the Wankhede.
Though Thakur impressed all with his magical hundred in the second innings, saving Mumbai’s sinking ship (after they got reduced to 101 for seven at one stage), none of the India internationals had a noteworthy outing. Rohit and Jaiswal scored 28 and 26, respectively, while Iyer (17) and Rahane (16) were far from impressive.
What’s next for Rohit?
Rohit will feature in Mumbai’s last Ranji Trophy league game against Meghalaya at home starting January 30. While other teammates might retain their places in the XI, Virat Kohli’s return to the Delhi side for their last game against the Railways remains the highlight.
After this, all CT-bound players will return to playing the first ODI against England starting February 6, with two more ODIs scheduled on 9 and 12.
Meanwhile, the eight-team tournament begins in Pakistan (on February 19). India will play Bangladesh in their tournament opener in Dubai the next day.
(With inputs from agencies)