India skipper Rohit Sharma has spoken on the possibility of mystery spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/varun-chakravarthy">Varun Chakaravarthy</a> being included in India's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy 2025</a> squad. Varun was added to India's squad for England ODIs after initially not being named. The inclusion comes after the spinner's 14-wicket Player of the Series performance in the T20Is against England.
"Varun has certainly shown something different. I understand that it is a T20 format but he's clearly got something different about him. So we just wanted to have an option and see what we can do with him," Rohit said at the pre-match press conference on eve of first England ODI set to be played on Thursday (Feb 6).
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-1st-odi-live-india-vs-england-1st-odi-nagpur-live-score-today-playing-xi-match-prediction-toss-pitch-report-liveblog-8694678">India vs England 1st ODI Live Score and Update</a>
"If the series presents us an opportunity to play him at some stage and we will see what he's capable of. Right now, we are not thinking about whether we're going to take him (to Champions Trophy) or not.
"But definitely, he will be in contention if things pan out really well for us and he does what is required," Rohit added.
Recently, retired offie <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ravi-ashwin">Ravi Ashwin</a> also backed Chakaravarthy for making it to India's Champions Trophy squad.
"We are all talking about whether he should have been there (Champions Trophy squad), I am thinking there is a chance he might be there. I have a feeling he might make it. There is a chance because all teams have named only a provisional squad. So, he might get picked," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
<h2>India&rsquo;s updated squad for three-match ODI series against England</h2>
Rohit Sharma (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah (3rd ODI only)

Varun was added to India's squad for England ODIs after initially not being named. The inclusion comes after the spinner's 14 wickets in the T20Is against England. Cricket Sports

India skipper Rohit Sharma has spoken on the possibility of mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy being included in India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Varun was added to India's squad for England ODIs after initially not being named. The inclusion comes after the spinner's 14-wicket Player of the Series performance in the T20Is against England. "Varun has certainly shown something different. I understand that it is a T20 format but he's clearly got something different about him. So we just wanted to have an option and see what we can do with him," Rohit said at the pre-match press conference on eve of first England ODI set to be played on Thursday (Feb 6). Also Read: India vs England 1st ODI Live Score and Update "If the series presents us an opportunity to play him at some stage and we will see what he's capable of. Right now, we are not thinking about whether we're going to take him (to Champions Trophy) or not. "But definitely, he will be in contention if things pan out really well for us and he does what is required," Rohit added. Recently, retired offie Ravi Ashwin also backed Chakaravarthy for making it to India's Champions Trophy squad. "We are all talking about whether he should have been there (Champions Trophy squad), I am thinking there is a chance he might be there. I have a feeling he might make it. There is a chance because all teams have named only a provisional squad. So, he might get picked," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. India’s updated squad for three-match ODI series against England Rohit Sharma (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah (3rd ODI only)

2025 Champions Trophy: 'He will be in...,' Rohit on Varun Chakaravarthy's inclusion in India squad

India and England are set to face each other in the first of three ODIs on Thursday (Feb 6) in Nagpur. Both the teams will be looking at these ODIs as a dress rehearsal to the upcoming ICC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy 2025</a> which begins on February 19 - a week after the last India vs England ODI.
India, after winning the T20I series 4-1, is back to its ODI set-up with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in the squad along with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mohammed-shami">Mohammed Shami</a>.
The hosts will be aiming to finalise their squad and the team combination for the ICC Champions Trophy as well. The major questions India needs answers to are the choice of wicketkeeper and bowling combination.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-1st-odi-live-india-vs-england-1st-odi-nagpur-live-score-today-playing-xi-match-prediction-toss-pitch-report-liveblog-8694678">India vs England 1st ODI Score and Update</a>
With both KL Rahul and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rishabh-pant">Rishabh Pant</a> in the squad, it'll be interesting to see who India choose. Rahul has been keeping wicket in ODIs, including 2023 ODI World Cup, when Pant was rehabilitating after a car crash in December 2022.&nbsp;
Pant returned for IPL 2024 and was India's wicketkeeper in T20 World Cup 2024. He also kept wickets in Tests after that.
As for the bowling combination, the Indian team management would be closely monitoring Shami's form. The pacer made a comeback to the international cricket in T20I series against England after being out for more than an year.
In the five-T20I series against the English side, Shami played two games - 3rd T20I in Rajkot and 5th T20I in Mumbai. He went wicketless in Rajkot but took 3/25 in Mumbai match. The pacer, however, didn't finish his quota of four overs in both the games. He bowled three overs in Rajkot and gave away 25 runs.&nbsp;
England's innings in Mumbai match was over in 10.3 overs out of which Shami only bowled 2.3 overs.&nbsp;
In the spin department, India have added Varun Chakaravarthy to the squad after his 14-wicket Player of the Series performance in the England T20Is. Kuldeep Yadav is also making his return after an injury so it'll be interesting to see who will India pick.
<h2>India's Predicted Playing XI vs England in 1st ODI:</h2>
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

IND vs ENG 1st ODI: India's Predicted Playing XI vs England: The major questions India needs answers to are the choice of wicketkeeper and bowling combination. Cricket Sports

India and England are set to face each other in the first of three ODIs on Thursday (Feb 6) in Nagpur. Both the teams will be looking at these ODIs as a dress rehearsal to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 which begins on February 19 - a week after the last India vs England ODI. India, after winning the T20I series 4-1, is back to its ODI set-up with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back in the squad along with Mohammed Shami. The hosts will be aiming to finalise their squad and the team combination for the ICC Champions Trophy as well. The major questions India needs answers to are the choice of wicketkeeper and bowling combination. Also Read: India vs England 1st ODI Score and Update With both KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant in the squad, it'll be interesting to see who India choose. Rahul has been keeping wicket in ODIs, including 2023 ODI World Cup, when Pant was rehabilitating after a car crash in December 2022. Pant returned for IPL 2024 and was India's wicketkeeper in T20 World Cup 2024. He also kept wickets in Tests after that. As for the bowling combination, the Indian team management would be closely monitoring Shami's form. The pacer made a comeback to the international cricket in T20I series against England after being out for more than an year. In the five-T20I series against the English side, Shami played two games - 3rd T20I in Rajkot and 5th T20I in Mumbai. He went wicketless in Rajkot but took 3/25 in Mumbai match. The pacer, however, didn't finish his quota of four overs in both the games. He bowled three overs in Rajkot and gave away 25 runs. England's innings in Mumbai match was over in 10.3 overs out of which Shami only bowled 2.3 overs. In the spin department, India have added Varun Chakaravarthy to the squad after his 14-wicket Player of the Series performance in the England T20Is. Kuldeep Yadav is also making his return after an injury so it'll be interesting to see who will India pick. India's Predicted Playing XI vs England in 1st ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

IND vs ENG 1st ODI: India's Predicted Playing XI vs England - Pant or Rahul, Kuldeep or Varun?

India skipper Rohit Sharma snapped at a reporter during the pre-match press conference on the eve of India vs England 1st ODI which is scheduled for Thursday (Feb 6) in Nagpur. Rohit lost his cool when he was asked about his future plans.
The question came on the back of media reports doing rounds that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked Rohit to decide on his future plans after the Champions Trophy, which runs from February 6 to March 9.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-not-hearing-great-news-about-bumrah-aakash-chopra-says-another-pacer-can-be-added-to-squad-8693002" rel="dofollow">2025 Champions Trophy: 'Not hearing great news about Bumrah...,' Ex-India player says another pacer can be added to squad</a>
"How is it relevant that I talk about my future plans when there are three ODIs and a Champions Trophy? The reports (on my future) have been going on for a number of years, and I am not here to clarify those reports," Rohit said at the pre-match press conference when asked about the reports.
"For me, the three games (against England) and the Champions Trophy are very important. My focus is on these games, and I will see what happens thereafter," he added.
<h2>BCCI sends 'plan your future' message to Rohit</h2>
BCCI is looking at the bigger picture now and has asked skipper Rohit Sharma to decide on his future plans after the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. The Indian skipper has been under heavy scrutiny for his inexplicable loss of form for quite some time now.
The selectors and people on the board had this discussion with Rohit around the time of the last selection meeting. He has been told that he needs to decide how he wants to plan his future after the Champions Trophy. The team management has certain plans going into the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and the ODI World Cup. They want to ensure everyone is on the same page for a smoother transition," reported media outlet the Times of India, quoting a BCCI source.

BCCI is looking at the bigger picture now and has reportedly asked skipper Rohit Sharma to decide on his future plans after the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. Cricket Sports

India skipper Rohit Sharma snapped at a reporter during the pre-match press conference on the eve of India vs England 1st ODI which is scheduled for Thursday (Feb 6) in Nagpur. Rohit lost his cool when he was asked about his future plans. The question came on the back of media reports doing rounds that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has asked Rohit to decide on his future plans after the Champions Trophy, which runs from February 6 to March 9. Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy: 'Not hearing great news about Bumrah...,' Ex-India player says another pacer can be added to squad "How is it relevant that I talk about my future plans when there are three ODIs and a Champions Trophy? The reports (on my future) have been going on for a number of years, and I am not here to clarify those reports," Rohit said at the pre-match press conference when asked about the reports. "For me, the three games (against England) and the Champions Trophy are very important. My focus is on these games, and I will see what happens thereafter," he added. BCCI sends 'plan your future' message to Rohit BCCI is looking at the bigger picture now and has asked skipper Rohit Sharma to decide on his future plans after the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. The Indian skipper has been under heavy scrutiny for his inexplicable loss of form for quite some time now. The selectors and people on the board had this discussion with Rohit around the time of the last selection meeting. He has been told that he needs to decide how he wants to plan his future after the Champions Trophy. The team management has certain plans going into the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and the ODI World Cup. They want to ensure everyone is on the same page for a smoother transition," reported media outlet the Times of India, quoting a BCCI source.

IND vs ENG: 'Will see what happens...,' India skipper Rohit Sharma speaks on his future

The Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) has released a net-session video of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> and Virat Kohli's batting practice ahead of the first ODI against England. The three-ODI series begins Thursday (Feb 6) In Nagpur. The series is being seen as a precursor to the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy-2025">Champions Trophy 2025</a>, scheduled to start on February 19.
Rohit and Kohli are under scrutiny for their form and the duo were seen playing multiple shots in the video shared by the BCCI on its official X handle. Rohit played his trademark pull shot including a sweep and reverse sweep. Kohli, on the other hand, was seen playing shots like cover drive and towards the mid-wicket region using his wrists. Have a look at the video below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
📍 Nagpur Gearing up for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvENG</a> ODI series opener.. ..in Ro-Ko style 😎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> <a href="https://t.co/gR2An4tTk0">pic.twitter.com/gR2An4tTk0</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1886987069991645658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Rohit and Kohli's form a concern</h2>
Both players last played in Tests on India's Tour of Australia. With both of them already retired from T20Is, these three ODIs against England will be the only international games they'll play before the Champions Trophy.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-bcci-sends-plan-you-future-message-to-skipper-rohit-sharma-8692134">'He needs to decide....,' BCCI sends 'plan your future after Champions Trophy' message to skipper Rohit Sharma</a>
Most recently, Rohit played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy but failed there as well, scoring just three and 28 runs in two innings during the match against Jammu and Kashmir last month. It was Rohit's first Ranji Trophy match in about a decade.
Before that, the Indian skipper failed miserably in a Test tour of Australia. He had missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child and played the next three matches. Rohit could manage only 30 runs in six innings before sitting himself out of the final Test in Sydney.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> also didn't live up to expectations on the Australia tour and scored only 190 runs. He hit a ton in the first innings of the first Test in Perth but managed just 90 runs after that on the rest of the tour.
The India star was also part of Delhi's Ranji Trophy match against Railways but managed just six runs before being bowled through the gates. It was Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match since 2012.

IND vs ENG: Virat and Rohit last played In BGT Tests. With both of them retired from T20Is, these ODIs will be the only games they'll play before CT 2025. Cricket Sports

The Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) has released a net-session video of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's batting practice ahead of the first ODI against England. The three-ODI series begins Thursday (Feb 6) In Nagpur. The series is being seen as a precursor to the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to start on February 19. Rohit and Kohli are under scrutiny for their form and the duo were seen playing multiple shots in the video shared by the BCCI on its official X handle. Rohit played his trademark pull shot including a sweep and reverse sweep. Kohli, on the other hand, was seen playing shots like cover drive and towards the mid-wicket region using his wrists. Have a look at the video below: 📍 Nagpur Gearing up for the #INDvENG ODI series opener.. ..in Ro-Ko style 😎#TeamIndia | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @ImRo45 | @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/gR2An4tTk0 — BCCI (@BCCI) February 5, 2025 Rohit and Kohli's form a concern Both players last played in Tests on India's Tour of Australia. With both of them already retired from T20Is, these three ODIs against England will be the only international games they'll play before the Champions Trophy. Also Read: 'He needs to decide....,' BCCI sends 'plan your future after Champions Trophy' message to skipper Rohit Sharma Most recently, Rohit played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy but failed there as well, scoring just three and 28 runs in two innings during the match against Jammu and Kashmir last month. It was Rohit's first Ranji Trophy match in about a decade. Before that, the Indian skipper failed miserably in a Test tour of Australia. He had missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child and played the next three matches. Rohit could manage only 30 runs in six innings before sitting himself out of the final Test in Sydney. Virat Kohli also didn't live up to expectations on the Australia tour and scored only 190 runs. He hit a ton in the first innings of the first Test in Perth but managed just 90 runs after that on the rest of the tour. The India star was also part of Delhi's Ranji Trophy match against Railways but managed just six runs before being bowled through the gates. It was Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match since 2012.

IND vs ENG: WATCH | Rohit and Virat's exuberant stroke play in nets ahead of 1st ODI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at the bigger picture now and has asked skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> do decide on his future plans after the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy-2025">2025 Champions Trophy</a>. The Indian skipper is under heavy scrutiny for his inexplicable loss of form for quite some time now.
<h2>BCCI's 'Plan You Future' Message to Rohit</h2>
"The selectors and people in the board had this discussion with Rohit around the time of the last selection meeting. He has been told that he needs to decide how he wants to plan his future after the Champions Trophy. The team management has certain plans going into the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and the ODI World Cup. They want to ensure everyone is on the same page for a smoother transition," reported media outlet the Times of India quoting a BCCI source.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-check-full-squads-of-india-pakistan-afghanistan-new-zealand-south-africa-australia-bangladesh-england-8690640">2025 Champions Trophy: Check full squads of all teams</a>
Most recently, Rohit played for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy but failed there as well, scoring just 3 and 28 runs in two innings during the match against Jammu and Kashmir last month. It was Rohit's first Ranji Trophy match in about a decade.
Before that, the Indian skipper failed miserably in Test tour of Australia. He had missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child and played the next three matches. Rohit could manage only 30 runs in six innings before sitting himself out of the final Test in Sydney.
As for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>, the board is willing to wait a bit longer given the batter's stellar record in international cricket which includes 81 tons - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 hundreds.
"As for Virat Kohli, the selectors are willing to wait a bit more on his Test form, while his ODI prowess is not seen as a major problem," the report stated.
The Champions Trophy 2025 starts February 19 with the final scheduled to be on March 9.

Most recently, Rohit played for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy but failed there as well, scoring just 3 and 28 runs in two innings during the match against J&K last month. Cricket Sports

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at the bigger picture now and has asked skipper Rohit Sharma do decide on his future plans after the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy. The Indian skipper is under heavy scrutiny for his inexplicable loss of form for quite some time now. BCCI's 'Plan You Future' Message to Rohit "The selectors and people in the board had this discussion with Rohit around the time of the last selection meeting. He has been told that he needs to decide how he wants to plan his future after the Champions Trophy. The team management has certain plans going into the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle and the ODI World Cup. They want to ensure everyone is on the same page for a smoother transition," reported media outlet the Times of India quoting a BCCI source. Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy: Check full squads of all teams Most recently, Rohit played for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy but failed there as well, scoring just 3 and 28 runs in two innings during the match against Jammu and Kashmir last month. It was Rohit's first Ranji Trophy match in about a decade. Before that, the Indian skipper failed miserably in Test tour of Australia. He had missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child and played the next three matches. Rohit could manage only 30 runs in six innings before sitting himself out of the final Test in Sydney. As for Virat Kohli, the board is willing to wait a bit longer given the batter's stellar record in international cricket which includes 81 tons - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 hundreds. "As for Virat Kohli, the selectors are willing to wait a bit more on his Test form, while his ODI prowess is not seen as a major problem," the report stated. The Champions Trophy 2025 starts February 19 with the final scheduled to be on March 9.

'He needs to decide....,' BCCI sends 'plan your future after Champions Trophy' message to skipper Rohit Sharma

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On the back of India&rsquo;s 4-1 T20I series win against England, the Men in Blue are now gearing up for the three-match ODI series, which will serve as a crucial test for India&rsquo;s ICC Men&rsquo;s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. <span class="EOP SCXW87193447 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Former Indian cricketer, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/suresh-raina">Suresh Raina</a> shared his thoughts on the upcoming series, He was speaking on Star Sports&rsquo; special show Game Plan.&nbsp;<span class="EOP SCXW87193447 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Talking about the expectations from Rohit Sharma, the left-handed batsman said, &ldquo;I think Rohit should play aggressively. You saw how he batted in the 2023 ODI World Cup&mdash;he was attacking even in the final. So, I believe his approach will remain the same. The key question is who will open alongside him&mdash;will it be Shubman? I remember, whenever they play together, they maintain an aggressive intent.&rdquo;<span class="EOP SCXW87193447 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}"> 
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sl-vs-aus-2nd-test-live-streaming-when-where-to-watch-sri-lanka-vs-australia-live-8689336">SL vs AUS, 2nd Test live streaming: When &amp; where to watch Sri Lanka vs Australia live</a> Sharing his thoughts&nbsp;about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> as a captain, Raina said, &ldquo;Rohit is an attacking captain. The way he utilizes his bowlers is commendable. He brings Mohammad Shami at&nbsp;key&nbsp;moments and relying on spinners strategically. When Rohit scores, it also reflects in his captaincy. This could be his last ICC trophy as captain, and if he wins, he will become the first Indian player to win four ICC trophies. He has already won the T20 World Cup, and securing the Champions Trophy would be a remarkable achievement.&rdquo;<span class="EOP SCXW87193447 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Speaking on how crucial <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> and Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s form will be for the upcoming ICC Men&rsquo;s Champions Trophy, Raina said, &ldquo;Rohit Sharma's strike rate has improved significantly after the ODI World Cup in 2023. Since then, he has scored runs at a strike rate of 119-120, making him one of India&rsquo;s best ODI batsmen. For Rohit and Virat, I would say that when you have a strong record of past performances, it gives you a lot of confidence. They complement each other well, and both have the skill to score big runs. If they perform well, India&rsquo;s campaign will benefit immensely.&rdquo;<span class="EOP SCXW87193447 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Talking about Virat Kohli, Raina said, &ldquo;When it comes to white-ball cricket, Virat knows how to switch on and switch off. He has scored the most runs against England, so his energy will be at a different level automatically. The three ODIs will be played in Nagpur, Ahmedabad, and Cuttack&mdash;all of which are high-scoring venues.&rdquo;<span class="EOP SCXW87193447 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW87193447 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1503131165" paraeid="{f31bedcb-0982-4fd2-8d6c-31edf4a57f6d}{82}">On India&rsquo;s spin bowling attack&nbsp;<span class="EOP SCXW87193447 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;</h2>
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Speaking about the spin department and team combination, Raina said, &ldquo;I think Jadeja will definitely play because of his effectiveness in ODIs. Kuldeep has not played a match since his injury, but we also have Axar Patel, who has been consistently performing well. The pitches in Dubai will offer some seam movement, but spin will also play a role. That&rsquo;s why Kuldeep, Axar, and Jadeja need to be in top form.&rdquo;
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Cricket Sports: The Men in Blue are now gearing up for the three-match ODI series, which will serve as a crucial test for India’s ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign

On the back of India’s 4-1 T20I series win against England, the Men in Blue are now gearing up for the three-match ODI series, which will serve as a crucial test for India’s ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign. Former Indian cricketer, Suresh Raina shared his thoughts on the upcoming series, He was speaking on Star Sports’ special show Game Plan. Talking about the expectations from Rohit Sharma, the left-handed batsman said, “I think Rohit should play aggressively. You saw how he batted in the 2023 ODI World Cup—he was attacking even in the final. So, I believe his approach will remain the same. The key question is who will open alongside him—will it be Shubman? I remember, whenever they play together, they maintain an aggressive intent.” Also Read: SL vs AUS, 2nd Test live streaming: When & where to watch Sri Lanka vs Australia live Sharing his thoughts about Rohit Sharma as a captain, Raina said, “Rohit is an attacking captain. The way he utilizes his bowlers is commendable. He brings Mohammad Shami at key moments and relying on spinners strategically. When Rohit scores, it also reflects in his captaincy. This could be his last ICC trophy as captain, and if he wins, he will become the first Indian player to win four ICC trophies. He has already won the T20 World Cup, and securing the Champions Trophy would be a remarkable achievement.” Speaking on how crucial Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s form will be for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, Raina said, “Rohit Sharma's strike rate has improved significantly after the ODI World Cup in 2023. Since then, he has scored runs at a strike rate of 119-120, making him one of India’s best ODI batsmen. For Rohit and Virat, I would say that when you have a strong record of past performances, it gives you a lot of confidence. They complement each other well, and both have the skill to score big runs. If they perform well, India’s campaign will benefit immensely.” Talking about Virat Kohli, Raina said, “When it comes to white-ball cricket, Virat knows how to switch on and switch off. He has scored the most runs against England, so his energy will be at a different level automatically. The three ODIs will be played in Nagpur, Ahmedabad, and Cuttack—all of which are high-scoring venues.” On India’s spin bowling attack Speaking about the spin department and team combination, Raina said, “I think Jadeja will definitely play because of his effectiveness in ODIs. Kuldeep has not played a match since his injury, but we also have Axar Patel, who has been consistently performing well. The pitches in Dubai will offer some seam movement, but spin will also play a role. That’s why Kuldeep, Axar, and Jadeja need to be in top form.”

Champions Trophy 2025: 'Virat and Rohit complement each other well', feels Suresh Raina

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/abhishek-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Abhishek Sharma</a> says there's no competition between him, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The statement comes after he broke multiple records during the fifth T20I against England in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2) and smashed highest individual score for India. Abhishek, who has become India's regular T20I opener after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a>'s retirement, had hit <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-abhishek-sharma-smashes-record-books-as-india-hit-247-in-mumbai-8684526" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">135 runs off 54 balls</a> at a strike rate of 250.
With his recent performance, Abhishek has cemented his place as an opener in T20Is while Jaiswal and Gill open the innings for India in Tests and ODIs, respectively.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-list-of-records-broken-by-abhishek-sharma-in-mumbai-t20i-highest-individual-score-most-sixes-fastest-hundred-fastest-fifty-biggest-win-by-run-8686949" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">IND vs ENG: List of records broken by Abhishek Sharma in Mumbai T20I</a>
"I had met Jassu [Jaiswal] and Shubman yesterday [at the BCCI awards]. There has never been a competition among us - we are playing together since Under-16. There was just one dream - to play for India. The three of us are playing now, so there is no better feeling," Abhishek said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
<h2>Rise of Abhishek Sharma</h2>
The left-hand batter, after exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for SunRisers Hyderabad, made his India debut right after T20 World Cup win post Rohit and Virat Kohli's retirement.&nbsp;
He scored a hundred in his second T20I only - 100 against Zimbabwe. Overall, the batter has played 17 T20Is and scored 535 runs at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 193.84. He has hit two hundreds in his career so far and two fifties as well including 34-ball 79 against England in the first T20I of the series.
The batter, after the match, credited the coaches and captain for giving him the confidence.
"You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,&rdquo; Abhishek said about his innings after the match.

The left-hand batter, after exploits in the IPL for SunRisers Hyderabad, made his India debut right after T20 World Cup win post Rohit and Virat Kohli's retirement.  Cricket Sports

India batter Abhishek Sharma says there's no competition between him, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The statement comes after he broke multiple records during the fifth T20I against England in Mumbai on Sunday (Feb 2) and smashed highest individual score for India. Abhishek, who has become India's regular T20I opener after Rohit Sharma's retirement, had hit 135 runs off 54 balls at a strike rate of 250. With his recent performance, Abhishek has cemented his place as an opener in T20Is while Jaiswal and Gill open the innings for India in Tests and ODIs, respectively. Also Read: IND vs ENG: List of records broken by Abhishek Sharma in Mumbai T20I "I had met Jassu [Jaiswal] and Shubman yesterday [at the BCCI awards]. There has never been a competition among us - we are playing together since Under-16. There was just one dream - to play for India. The three of us are playing now, so there is no better feeling," Abhishek said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. Rise of Abhishek Sharma The left-hand batter, after exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for SunRisers Hyderabad, made his India debut right after T20 World Cup win post Rohit and Virat Kohli's retirement. He scored a hundred in his second T20I only - 100 against Zimbabwe. Overall, the batter has played 17 T20Is and scored 535 runs at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 193.84. He has hit two hundreds in his career so far and two fifties as well including 34-ball 79 against England in the first T20I of the series. The batter, after the match, credited the coaches and captain for giving him the confidence. "You can ask any player, such matches are very few (and far between). I would say it was all possible because of the efforts I put in the practice, the backing I got from the coaches and the captain when I was not getting the runs or not bowling well,” Abhishek said about his innings after the match.

'Never been a competition...,' says India T20I opener Abhishek Sharma about Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill

In his teenage years, Agni Chopra received a piece of invaluable advice from his father, renowned filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra: "Whatever profession you pursue, give it your best shot."
These words shaped his journey, leading him to make one of the toughest decisions of his career&mdash;leaving the comfort of Mumbai to play first-class cricket for Mizoram, a state where the sport is still finding its footing.
Despite the challenges, Mizoram cricket welcomed Agni with open arms, and his journey has been nothing short of remarkable. The 26-year-old's dedication and hard work paid off in the 2023&ndash;24 <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> season, where he emerged as the Top run getter, scoring a staggering 939 runs at an average of nearly 80. His consistency and hunger for big scores earned him the prestigious <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/board-of-control-for-cricket-in-india">BCCI</a> award, presented by none other than his childhood idol and Indian captain, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/my-wife-will-be-watching-and-i-cant-say-that-rohit-sharmas-reply-to-biggest-thing-he-has-ever-forgotten-watch-8683178">'My wife will be watching, and I can&rsquo;t say that': Rohit Sharma&rsquo;s reply to biggest thing he has ever forgotten- WATCH</a> Receiving the award was a surreal moment for Agni, made even more special by the presence of his parents&mdash;Vidhu Vinod Chopra and noted film critic Anupama Chopra&mdash;who cheered him on from the audience. The young cricketer found himself in an elite frame alongside legends like Sachin Tendulkar, R. Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Sarfaraz Khan, and Smriti Mandhana.
"Receiving this award from Rohit Shamra, someone I have idolized for years, is truly special," Agni shared. "I have watched him play for almost half of my life, and this feels like a full-circle moment. Having my parents there to witness it meant the world to me. They have always supported me through my highs and lows, especially when I was in and out of the Mumbai team."
His ultimate ambition? To take Mizoram into the Elite Group and, eventually, don the iconic navy blue India Test cap. Having stepped out of his comfort zone, Agni Chopra is now ready to push even further, proving that with hard work, resilience, and an unwavering passion for the game, dreams do come true.

Sports, Cricket: The 26-year-old's dedication paid off in the 2023–24 Ranji Trophy season, where he emerged as the Top run getter, scoring  939 runs at an average of nearly 80.

In his teenage years, Agni Chopra received a piece of invaluable advice from his father, renowned filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra: "Whatever profession you pursue, give it your best shot." These words shaped his journey, leading him to make one of the toughest decisions of his career—leaving the comfort of Mumbai to play first-class cricket for Mizoram, a state where the sport is still finding its footing. Despite the challenges, Mizoram cricket welcomed Agni with open arms, and his journey has been nothing short of remarkable. The 26-year-old's dedication and hard work paid off in the 2023–24 Ranji Trophy season, where he emerged as the Top run getter, scoring a staggering 939 runs at an average of nearly 80. His consistency and hunger for big scores earned him the prestigious BCCI award, presented by none other than his childhood idol and Indian captain, Rohit Sharma. Also Read: 'My wife will be watching, and I can’t say that': Rohit Sharma’s reply to biggest thing he has ever forgotten- WATCH Receiving the award was a surreal moment for Agni, made even more special by the presence of his parents—Vidhu Vinod Chopra and noted film critic Anupama Chopra—who cheered him on from the audience. The young cricketer found himself in an elite frame alongside legends like Sachin Tendulkar, R. Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Sarfaraz Khan, and Smriti Mandhana. "Receiving this award from Rohit Shamra, someone I have idolized for years, is truly special," Agni shared. "I have watched him play for almost half of my life, and this feels like a full-circle moment. Having my parents there to witness it meant the world to me. They have always supported me through my highs and lows, especially when I was in and out of the Mumbai team." His ultimate ambition? To take Mizoram into the Elite Group and, eventually, don the iconic navy blue India Test cap. Having stepped out of his comfort zone, Agni Chopra is now ready to push even further, proving that with hard work, resilience, and an unwavering passion for the game, dreams do come true.

Agni Chopra’s stellar Ranji season earns him BCCI recognition

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>&rsquo;s habit of forgetting things is not something new for the Indian cricket fans. A number of his teammates have highlighted this tendency of him during interviews.
During the Naman Awards 2024 organised by the BCCI to recognise the performances of Indian cricketers, Indian Women's team star opener Smriti Mandhana asked Rohit about a hobby that he has picked up recently that annoys his teammates.
In response, the Indian captain quipped: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know. They tease my about forgetting. Obviously, it&rsquo;s not a hobby but this is what they tease me about &ndash; that I forget my wallet, passport &ndash; which is absolutely not true. That happened a couple of decades back.&rdquo;
Watch the video here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Don't 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 to watch this 😎 Smriti Mandhana tries to find out the one hobby that Rohit Sharma has picked up recently, which his teammates tease him about 😃<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NamanAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NamanAwards</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/mandhana_smriti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mandhana_smriti</a> <a href="https://t.co/9xZomhnJjy">pic.twitter.com/9xZomhnJjy</a>
&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1885701677472448622?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

His response left the room in splits. Mandhana then posed a follow up question, &ldquo;What&rsquo;s the biggest thing you&rsquo;ve ever forgotten?&rdquo;
&ldquo;I can&rsquo;t say that!" came Rohit&rsquo;s reply resulting in more laughter. &ldquo;If this is coming live, my wife will be watching, and I can&rsquo;t say that. I will keep that to myself.&rdquo;
Meanwhile, legendary India cricketer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sachin-tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</a> was conferred with the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/board-of-control-for-cricket-in-india">BCCI</a>) on Saturday (Feb 1). Having served Indian cricket for over two decades, Tendulkar received the honour in a special ceremony held in Mumbai. The occasion also saw Ravichandran Ashwin being honoured with BCCI&rsquo;s Special Award having called time on his illustrious career in December 2024 during the Australia tour.
On the other hand, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ravichandran-ashwin">Ashwin</a> was also honoured for his illustrious career, who like Sachin was part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad. After Anil Kumble he was India&rsquo;s best Test bowler with 537 wickets in 106 matches.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: During the Naman Awards 2024 organized by the BCCI, star opener Smriti Mandhana asked Rohit about a hobby that annoys his teammates

Rohit Sharma’s habit of forgetting things is not something new for the Indian cricket fans. A number of his teammates have highlighted this tendency of him during interviews. During the Naman Awards 2024 organised by the BCCI to recognise the performances of Indian cricketers, Indian Women's team star opener Smriti Mandhana asked Rohit about a hobby that he has picked up recently that annoys his teammates. In response, the Indian captain quipped: “I don’t know. They tease my about forgetting. Obviously, it’s not a hobby but this is what they tease me about – that I forget my wallet, passport – which is absolutely not true. That happened a couple of decades back.” Watch the video here: Don't 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 to watch this 😎 Smriti Mandhana tries to find out the one hobby that Rohit Sharma has picked up recently, which his teammates tease him about 😃#NamanAwards | @ImRo45 | @mandhana_smriti pic.twitter.com/9xZomhnJjy — BCCI (@BCCI) February 1, 2025 His response left the room in splits. Mandhana then posed a follow up question, “What’s the biggest thing you’ve ever forgotten?” “I can’t say that!" came Rohit’s reply resulting in more laughter. “If this is coming live, my wife will be watching, and I can’t say that. I will keep that to myself.” Meanwhile, legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was conferred with the C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday (Feb 1). Having served Indian cricket for over two decades, Tendulkar received the honour in a special ceremony held in Mumbai. The occasion also saw Ravichandran Ashwin being honoured with BCCI’s Special Award having called time on his illustrious career in December 2024 during the Australia tour. On the other hand, Ashwin was also honoured for his illustrious career, who like Sachin was part of the 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad. After Anil Kumble he was India’s best Test bowler with 537 wickets in 106 matches. (With inputs from agencies)

'My wife will be watching, and I can’t say that': Rohit Sharma’s reply to biggest thing he has ever forgotten- WATCH

India head coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gautam-gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</a> on Saturday (Feb 1) stated that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> will have big roles to play for the team in the upcoming Champions Trophy and said the batting stars add so much value to the nation's cricket.&nbsp;
The form of Kohli and Rohit in recent times has fueled speculation about their future. &ldquo;I think both Rohit and Virat, they add so much value to the dressing room. They add so much value to Indian cricket as well. They've got to play a massive role (in the Champions Trophy),&rdquo; Gambhir said during the BCCI annual awards.
&ldquo;And I've said it before as well, those guys are so hungry, they want to play for the country. They have the passion to play for the country and deliver for the country,&rdquo; he added.
Gambhir said the team cannot relax even for a moment in the Champions Trophy because they have just three league matches, as compared to the 50-over World Cup.
&ldquo;Champions Trophy is a completely different challenge as compared to the 50-over World Cup because literally every game is a make-or-break, so you can't stop anywhere in this tournament.
&ldquo;So hopefully we're going to start off really well, because ultimately, if you want to go on and win the competition, you have to win five games,&rdquo; he said.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-5th-t20i-live-streaming-when-and-where-to-watch-india-vs-england-live-on-laptop-tv-8682357">IND vs ENG, 5th T20I live streaming: When and where to watch India vs England live on laptop, TV</a>
<h2>All games are important: Gambhir</h2>
Gambhir also played down the hype surrounding the India vs Pakistan match, which is scheduled to be played in Dubai on February 23. &ldquo;Look, we don't go to the Champions Trophy thinking that the 23rd is the most important game for us. I think five games, all the games are important. The mission to go to Dubai is to win the Champions Trophy, not only win one particular game.
&ldquo;But yes, if that is one game in the middle of winning the Champions Trophy, we're going to try and take it as seriously as possible.
&ldquo;And more importantly, I think when two countries, India and Pakistan, play against each other, obviously the emotions are really high, but ultimately the contest remains the same.&rdquo;
The former India opener hailed skipper Suryakumar Yadav for infusing a fresh life into India's T20I squad.&nbsp;&ldquo;Me and Surya have been on the same page when we talk about selflessness and fearlessness. But yes, we want to be more smart going forward, because that is how we're going to grow as a T20 team, and hopefully in all the other formats as well.
&ldquo;But I think the guys have been absolutely phenomenal. They've got the skills, they've got the temperament, they've got all the ability. And what they've done in the last six months, I think that's been incredible,&rdquo; he added.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: The Indian team head coach also played down the hype surrounding the India vs Pakistan match, which is scheduled to be played at Dubai on February 23

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Saturday (Feb 1) stated that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will have big roles to play for the team in the upcoming Champions Trophy and said the batting stars add so much value to the nation's cricket. The form of Kohli and Rohit in recent times has fueled speculation about their future. “I think both Rohit and Virat, they add so much value to the dressing room. They add so much value to Indian cricket as well. They've got to play a massive role (in the Champions Trophy),” Gambhir said during the BCCI annual awards. “And I've said it before as well, those guys are so hungry, they want to play for the country. They have the passion to play for the country and deliver for the country,” he added. Gambhir said the team cannot relax even for a moment in the Champions Trophy because they have just three league matches, as compared to the 50-over World Cup. “Champions Trophy is a completely different challenge as compared to the 50-over World Cup because literally every game is a make-or-break, so you can't stop anywhere in this tournament. “So hopefully we're going to start off really well, because ultimately, if you want to go on and win the competition, you have to win five games,” he said. Also Read: IND vs ENG, 5th T20I live streaming: When and where to watch India vs England live on laptop, TV All games are important: Gambhir Gambhir also played down the hype surrounding the India vs Pakistan match, which is scheduled to be played in Dubai on February 23. “Look, we don't go to the Champions Trophy thinking that the 23rd is the most important game for us. I think five games, all the games are important. The mission to go to Dubai is to win the Champions Trophy, not only win one particular game. “But yes, if that is one game in the middle of winning the Champions Trophy, we're going to try and take it as seriously as possible. “And more importantly, I think when two countries, India and Pakistan, play against each other, obviously the emotions are really high, but ultimately the contest remains the same.” The former India opener hailed skipper Suryakumar Yadav for infusing a fresh life into India's T20I squad. “Me and Surya have been on the same page when we talk about selflessness and fearlessness. But yes, we want to be more smart going forward, because that is how we're going to grow as a T20 team, and hopefully in all the other formats as well. “But I think the guys have been absolutely phenomenal. They've got the skills, they've got the temperament, they've got all the ability. And what they've done in the last six months, I think that's been incredible,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Champions Trophy 2025: 'They have got to...'- Gautam Gambhir says this on Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli

There will be no opening ceremony in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) receives a mini-setback even before the curtains are raised on the coveted tournament. With the Champions Trophy 2025 set for its return after eight years, media reports on Thursday (Jan 30) have stated that there will be no opening ceremony. This will also mean India skipper Rohit Sharma will avoid visiting Pakistan, in what could have been the first trip for an Indian captain since 2008.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">No opening ceremony for Champions Trophy</h2>
According to prominent cricketing site Cricbuzz, both ICC and PCB have reportedly cancelled the opening ceremony, which was likely to take place on Feb 16 in Lahore. However, with teams like Australia and England set to reach on Feb 18 and later, it was unlikely that the opening ceremony and photo-op of skippers were possible. The English side is likely to take a break after the India series, which could result in their delayed arrival.
"An opening ceremony was never announced either by the ICC or the PCB," as quoted by Cricbuzz&rsquo;s source well-versed with the development. The PCB did not comment but did not deny that there won't be an opening ceremony or captains' photo shoot.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-mumbai-vs-meghalaya-watch-video-shardul-thakur-takes-hattrick-for-mumbai-8674030" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Meghalaya: WATCH | Shardul Thakur takes hattrick for Mumbai</a>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Rohit avoids Pakistan travel?</h2>
As things stand, if the opening ceremony is cancelled, India skipper Rohit Sharma will avoid a trip to Pakistan. India have not travelled to their archrivals since the 2008 Asia Cup, where MS Dhoni&rsquo;s side finished runners-up to Pakistan. Political tensions between the nations have seen India avoid visits while no bilateral series has taken place between the sides since 2012-13.
The latest development means that the Indian skipper will be next in action during his side&rsquo;s opening match against Bangladesh on Feb 20 in Dubai.

Sports, Cricket: With the Champions Trophy 2025 set for its return after eight years, media reports on Thursday (Jan 30) stated that there will be no opening ceremony. 

There will be no opening ceremony in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) receives a mini-setback even before the curtains are raised on the coveted tournament. With the Champions Trophy 2025 set for its return after eight years, media reports on Thursday (Jan 30) have stated that there will be no opening ceremony. This will also mean India skipper Rohit Sharma will avoid visiting Pakistan, in what could have been the first trip for an Indian captain since 2008. No opening ceremony for Champions Trophy According to prominent cricketing site Cricbuzz, both ICC and PCB have reportedly cancelled the opening ceremony, which was likely to take place on Feb 16 in Lahore. However, with teams like Australia and England set to reach on Feb 18 and later, it was unlikely that the opening ceremony and photo-op of skippers were possible. The English side is likely to take a break after the India series, which could result in their delayed arrival. "An opening ceremony was never announced either by the ICC or the PCB," as quoted by Cricbuzz’s source well-versed with the development. The PCB did not comment but did not deny that there won't be an opening ceremony or captains' photo shoot. ALSO READ | Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Meghalaya: WATCH | Shardul Thakur takes hattrick for Mumbai Rohit avoids Pakistan travel? As things stand, if the opening ceremony is cancelled, India skipper Rohit Sharma will avoid a trip to Pakistan. India have not travelled to their archrivals since the 2008 Asia Cup, where MS Dhoni’s side finished runners-up to Pakistan. Political tensions between the nations have seen India avoid visits while no bilateral series has taken place between the sides since 2012-13. The latest development means that the Indian skipper will be next in action during his side’s opening match against Bangladesh on Feb 20 in Dubai.

Champions Trophy 2025: No opening ceremony as India skipper Rohit Sharma avoids Pakistan trip - Report

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India&rsquo;s newly-appointed batting coach Sitanshu Kotak gave an update on when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mohammed-shami">Mohammed Shami</a> could play his next match for the national cricket team. Shami returned to the India cricket team after a gap of over one year with his selection for the ongoing T20I series against England, but the 34-year-old pacer has not featured in the two T20Is played so far.&nbsp;
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Shami was also seen bowling in the nets with his knees heavily strapped during a practice session recently. It was a swelling in the knee that ruled Shami out of the last two Tests in the Bord-Gavaskar Trophy.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW263307374 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="782628980" paraeid="{1a275190-067a-410c-a100-7f22402f4c7b}{131}">Gambhir and SKY will take call on Shami&rsquo;s selection&nbsp;</h2>
</div>
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The Indian batting coach also cleared the air over concerns regarding the pacer's fitness and said that it is &ldquo;not a problem&rdquo; but his return to the team will depend on the plans of coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/gautam-gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</a> and T20I captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/suryakumar-yadav">Suryakumar Yadav</a> as Shami has also been picked for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-3rd-t20i-live-score-update-india-vs-england-playing-xi-ind-eng-live-match-updates-today-jan-28-liveblog-8661395">IND vs ENG, 3rd T20I Live Score: India aim to seal series in Rajkot</a> 
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&ldquo;Yes, Shami is fit but something about him playing or not playing, I am not the one who can answer. There is definitely a plan (for Shami) looking at coming matches as well as one-dayers. So, that is something Gautam and obviously Surya will take a call on. But (his) fitness, definitely is not a problem, depending on how they are planning to build his load,&rdquo; Kotak said in a presser.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW263307374 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1828628672" paraeid="{1a275190-067a-410c-a100-7f22402f4c7b}{194}">Kotak looks forward to working with Kohli&nbsp;</h2>
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Kotak is also looking forward to working with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ODIs, as they have been in poor form off late.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;Rohit and Virat are senior players, but even the players we have now, it is a lot about understanding how they are planning their games, how they think, and then see if we can add something. If I can add value to 2%, 5% (of their game), that would be great. There might be a lot of things that I can also learn from them,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
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Cricket Sports: Shami was also seen bowling in the nets with his knees heavily strapped during a practice session recently. Shami has not featured in the two T20Is played so far

India’s newly-appointed batting coach Sitanshu Kotak gave an update on when Mohammed Shami could play his next match for the national cricket team. Shami returned to the India cricket team after a gap of over one year with his selection for the ongoing T20I series against England, but the 34-year-old pacer has not featured in the two T20Is played so far. Shami was also seen bowling in the nets with his knees heavily strapped during a practice session recently. It was a swelling in the knee that ruled Shami out of the last two Tests in the Bord-Gavaskar Trophy. Gambhir and SKY will take call on Shami’s selection The Indian batting coach also cleared the air over concerns regarding the pacer's fitness and said that it is “not a problem” but his return to the team will depend on the plans of coach Gautam Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav as Shami has also been picked for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025. Also Read: IND vs ENG, 3rd T20I Live Score: India aim to seal series in Rajkot “Yes, Shami is fit but something about him playing or not playing, I am not the one who can answer. There is definitely a plan (for Shami) looking at coming matches as well as one-dayers. So, that is something Gautam and obviously Surya will take a call on. But (his) fitness, definitely is not a problem, depending on how they are planning to build his load,” Kotak said in a presser. Kotak looks forward to working with Kohli Kotak is also looking forward to working with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the ODIs, as they have been in poor form off late. “Rohit and Virat are senior players, but even the players we have now, it is a lot about understanding how they are planning their games, how they think, and then see if we can add something. If I can add value to 2%, 5% (of their game), that would be great. There might be a lot of things that I can also learn from them,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

IND vs ENG, 3rd T20I: 'Mohammed Shami is fit, but...’, says Indian batting coach ahead of 3rd T20I

In a massive boost to Team India&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy-2025">Champions Trophy 2025</a> chances, new vice-captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shubman-gill">Shubman Gill</a> 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 &amp; Kashmir at BKC.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m6c372vk-we2upc3n-hs6z5is5">
J &amp; K WIN! 👏👏 Abid Mushtaq finishes it off in style with a 6⃣ 💥 J &amp; K beat Mumbai by 5 wickets, chasing down 205 👌 What a crucial &amp; fantastic victory for them! 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanjiTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanjiTrophy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/oYXDhqotjO">https://t.co/oYXDhqotjO</a> <a href="https://t.co/SG0Ni1n9ZO">pic.twitter.com/SG0Ni1n9ZO</a>
&mdash; BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1883080536866136550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
For Mumbai, CT-bound players failed, but out-of-favour all-rounder Shardul Thakur impressed everyone with a second-inning hundred.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-jasprit-bumrah-among-four-indians-included-in-icc-mens-t20i-team-of-the-year-8652840" rel="dofollow">Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah among four Indians included in ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year</a>
Upon returning to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/domestic-cricket">domestic cricket</a> 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.
<h2>J&amp;K beat Mumbai</h2>
On the other side, Mumbai tumbled to a five-wicket loss at the hands of the touring J&amp;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&amp;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.&nbsp;
Though Thakur impressed all with his magical hundred in the second innings, saving Mumbai&rsquo;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.&nbsp;
<h3>What&rsquo;s next for Rohit?</h3>
Rohit will feature in Mumbai&rsquo;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&rsquo;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.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, the eight-team tournament begins in Pakistan (on February 19). India will play Bangladesh in their tournament opener in Dubai the next day.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: For Mumbai, CT-bound players failed, but out-of-favour all-rounder Shardul Thakur impressed everyone with a second-inning hundred.

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! 👏👏 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 — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 25, 2025 For Mumbai, CT-bound players failed, but out-of-favour all-rounder Shardul Thakur impressed everyone with a second-inning hundred. Also read | Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah among four Indians included in ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 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)

Ranji Trophy round up: Shubman Gill shines, Mumbai's heavyweights fail

India&rsquo;s T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma along with Jasprit Bumrah and two other Indians have been named in the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20I team of the year after a stellar 2024. The team announced on Saturday (Jan 25) saw the inclusion of Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh alongside Rohit, who was named the side's captain. Interestingly, despite reaching the final no South African player was included in the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20I Team of the Year. <o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Rohit Sharma in ICC team of the year<o:p></o:p></h2>
Having helped India win the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies, the ICC named Rohit in the team of the year, where he showed his class with the bat. The then-Indian skipper scored 378 runs in 11 matches in 2024, including a best of 121, before calling time on his illustrious career. After MS Dhoni, he became the second captain to lead India to glory in the coveted tournament. <o:p></o:p>
Jasprit Bumrah was also named in the Team of the Year after playing a key role in India&rsquo;s triumph. He remains India&rsquo;s ace card in big tournaments having helped the nation win T20 World Cup. Arshdeep was another bowler named in the ICC team of the year while Hardik Pandya&rsquo;s contribution to the side did not go unnoticed as he too made the cut.
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ahead-of-champions-trophy-2025-pak-to-host-new-zealand-south-africa-for-odi-tri-series-8652625" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, Pak to host New Zealand, South Africa for ODI tri-series</a> 
Elsewhere, the likes of Travis Head, Phil Salt and Babar Azam were also included by the ICC in T20I Team of the Year. In Women&rsquo;s T20I Team of the Year, India were represented by Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">ICC T20I Team of the Year<o:p></o:p></h2>
Men&rsquo;s
Rohit Sharma (c), Travis Head, Phil Salt, Babar Azam, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sikandar Raza, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.
Women&rsquo;s<o:p></o:p>
Laura Wolvaardt (c), Smriti Mandhana, Chamari Athapaththu, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Melie Kerr, Richa Ghosh (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Orla Prendergast, Deepti Sharma, Sadia Iqbal<o:p></o:p>

Sports, Cricket: The team announced saw the inclusion ofJasprit  Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh alongside Rohit Sharma, who was named the side's captain.

India’s T20 World Cup-winning captain Rohit Sharma along with Jasprit Bumrah and two other Indians have been named in the ICC Men’s T20I team of the year after a stellar 2024. The team announced on Saturday (Jan 25) saw the inclusion of Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh alongside Rohit, who was named the side's captain. Interestingly, despite reaching the final no South African player was included in the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year. Rohit Sharma in ICC team of the year Having helped India win the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies, the ICC named Rohit in the team of the year, where he showed his class with the bat. The then-Indian skipper scored 378 runs in 11 matches in 2024, including a best of 121, before calling time on his illustrious career. After MS Dhoni, he became the second captain to lead India to glory in the coveted tournament. Jasprit Bumrah was also named in the Team of the Year after playing a key role in India’s triumph. He remains India’s ace card in big tournaments having helped the nation win T20 World Cup. Arshdeep was another bowler named in the ICC team of the year while Hardik Pandya’s contribution to the side did not go unnoticed as he too made the cut. ALSO READ | Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, Pak to host New Zealand, South Africa for ODI tri-series Elsewhere, the likes of Travis Head, Phil Salt and Babar Azam were also included by the ICC in T20I Team of the Year. In Women’s T20I Team of the Year, India were represented by Smriti Mandhana, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma. ICC T20I Team of the Year Men’s Rohit Sharma (c), Travis Head, Phil Salt, Babar Azam, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Sikandar Raza, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh. Women’s Laura Wolvaardt (c), Smriti Mandhana, Chamari Athapaththu, Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Melie Kerr, Richa Ghosh (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Orla Prendergast, Deepti Sharma, Sadia Iqbal

Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah among four Indians included in ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year

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Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif on Saturday (Jan 25) said that Indian senior duo <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> are being targeted for their red-ball form and are forced to play domestic cricket ahead of the white-ball tournaments.&nbsp;
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Rohit turned up for Mumbai in their ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Jammu &amp; Kashmir. He scored 3 and 28 runs in the match. Meanwhile, Kohli will join Delhi's squad for the match against Railways from January 30.&nbsp;
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Other than the star duo, members of the Test squad that faced a 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia are also featuring for their respective state sides for the latest round of Ranji Trophy matches. The other notable players include Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Rishabh Pant (Delhi), Ravindra Jadeja (Saurashtra) and Shubman Gill (Punjab).&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-eng-2nd-t20i-varun-chakravarthy-attributes-domestic-cricket-for-his-t20i-career-boom-says-smat-is-at-par-with-ipl-8652112">IND vs ENG 2nd T20I: Varun attributes domestic cricket for his T20I career boom</a> 
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Latif said that Rohit and Kohli should focus on their upcoming white-ball tournaments against England and next month&rsquo;s Champions Trophy in Dubai.&nbsp;
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Latif said that due to the busy international calendar, players don&rsquo;t get much time to play domestic cricket. He went on to say that the star duo played two World Cup finals in the last two years without playing domestic cricket.&nbsp;
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW169062253 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="433085391" paraeid="{7cce9581-a817-48ac-a2ac-951d36acae50}{90}">White-ball is a totally different game: Rashid</h2>
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&ldquo;There is no time for players to play domestic cricket due to the packed international calendar. If needed they should play domestic cricket but due to the targeting of Rohit and Virat, they&rsquo;re forcing everyone to play domestic cricket. In the past, barring <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sachin-tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, others have not played much domestic cricket... Rohit and Virat have won the T20 World Cup and reached the final of the ODI World Cup without playing domestic cricket. They will next play the ODI series against England so they should prepare for it as white-ball is a totally different game,&rdquo; Latif was quoted saying to IANS news agency.<span class="EOP SCXW169062253 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Rohit and Kohli will feature in the three-match ODI series against England starting on February 6. Both teams are currently playing the five-match T20I series. India started with a thumping win at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the first T20I.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Sports, Cricket: Rohit turned up for Mumbai in match against J&K. He scored 3 and 28 runs. Meanwhile, Kohli will join Delhi's squad for match against Railways from Jan 30

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif on Saturday (Jan 25) said that Indian senior duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are being targeted for their red-ball form and are forced to play domestic cricket ahead of the white-ball tournaments. Rohit turned up for Mumbai in their ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir. He scored 3 and 28 runs in the match. Meanwhile, Kohli will join Delhi's squad for the match against Railways from January 30. Other than the star duo, members of the Test squad that faced a 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia are also featuring for their respective state sides for the latest round of Ranji Trophy matches. The other notable players include Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai), Rishabh Pant (Delhi), Ravindra Jadeja (Saurashtra) and Shubman Gill (Punjab). Also Read: IND vs ENG 2nd T20I: Varun attributes domestic cricket for his T20I career boom Latif said that Rohit and Kohli should focus on their upcoming white-ball tournaments against England and next month’s Champions Trophy in Dubai. Latif said that due to the busy international calendar, players don’t get much time to play domestic cricket. He went on to say that the star duo played two World Cup finals in the last two years without playing domestic cricket. White-ball is a totally different game: Rashid “There is no time for players to play domestic cricket due to the packed international calendar. If needed they should play domestic cricket but due to the targeting of Rohit and Virat, they’re forcing everyone to play domestic cricket. In the past, barring Sachin Tendulkar, others have not played much domestic cricket... Rohit and Virat have won the T20 World Cup and reached the final of the ODI World Cup without playing domestic cricket. They will next play the ODI series against England so they should prepare for it as white-ball is a totally different game,” Latif was quoted saying to IANS news agency. Rohit and Kohli will feature in the three-match ODI series against England starting on February 6. Both teams are currently playing the five-match T20I series. India started with a thumping win at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the first T20I. (With inputs from agencies)

‘Rohit, Kohli are being forced to play...’ says former Pak cricketer Rashid Latif

Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/who-is-umar-nazir-mir-jk-bowler-who-dismissed-india-skipper-rohit-rahane-shivam-dube-in-ranji-trophy-vs-mumbai-8646609" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Umar Nazir Mir</a> had a dream day during the Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai on Thursday (Jan 23). Nazir, a 6-foot-4 tall bowler from Kashmir's Pulwama, took four wickets in Mumbai's top order including India skipper Rohit Sharma.
The J&amp;K pacer, however, had a muted celebration after the biggest wicket of his career, which he attributed to being a Rohit fan.
&ldquo;I am a huge fan of Rohit, and that&rsquo;s why I did not celebrate,&rdquo; Umar said after the day&rsquo;s play.
Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-from-shubman-gill-to-rishabh-pant-how-india-players-performed-ravi-jadeja-five-for-ranji-trophy-score-today-8647666" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy: From Shubman Gill to Rishabh Pant - How India players performed</a>
Mir had <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-ranji-trophy-dismissal-on-return-video-mumbai-vs-jammu-kashmir-ranji-trophy-8646775" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">surprised Rohit with a fast short-pitch delivery</a> which the Indian skipper lobbed to the mid-off region only to be caught by J&amp;K skipper Paras Dogra. The India skipper, returning to domestic cricket after a decade, scored only three runs off 19 balls.
&ldquo;I know Rohit is something, he is big. When you dismiss an international player of that stature, it is always a prized wicket. There was some help from the surface - I tried to bowl in the right areas, and Rohit&rsquo;s wicket was important for us and for me, personally, as well,&rdquo; the pacer added.
<h2>Umar Mir tames star-studded Mumbai</h2>
Mir rocked Mumbai early on and took four wickets from Mumbai's first five wickets. His wickets included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore.
Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-bcci-suspends-ankit-bawne-for-refusing-to-walk-after-being-out-ankit-bawne-ranji-trophy-runs-matches-stats-8646387" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank"> Who is Ankit Bawne, Maharashtra batter with 8,000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy over dissent?</a>
After the lanky pacer dismissed Rohit, he clean-bowled Mumbai skipper Rahane through the gates. He trapped Tamore Leg Before Wicket (LBW) next before getting Dube caught behind.
By the time Mir was done, Mumbai were reeling at 41/5 in just 15.5 overs. Yudhvir Singh then joined the party and took four wickets himself, including dismissing Shreyas Iyer.
Mumbai were eventually bowled out for 120, with Shardul Thakur scoring the highest of 51 while Tanush Kotian managed 26. For J&amp;K, Mir finished with 4/41 while Yudhvir took 4/31 and Auqib Nabi picked up 2/36.
In reply, Jammu and Kashmir were 174/7 by the end of play and led by 54 runs in the first innings.

Ranji Trophy: Umar Nazir surprised Rohit, back to domestic cricket after a decade, with a short delivery which he lobbed only to be caught by J&K skipper Paras Dogra on 3. Sports

Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Umar Nazir Mir had a dream day during the Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai on Thursday (Jan 23). Nazir, a 6-foot-4 tall bowler from Kashmir's Pulwama, took four wickets in Mumbai's top order including India skipper Rohit Sharma. The J&K pacer, however, had a muted celebration after the biggest wicket of his career, which he attributed to being a Rohit fan. “I am a huge fan of Rohit, and that’s why I did not celebrate,” Umar said after the day’s play. Also Read - Ranji Trophy: From Shubman Gill to Rishabh Pant - How India players performed Mir had surprised Rohit with a fast short-pitch delivery which the Indian skipper lobbed to the mid-off region only to be caught by J&K skipper Paras Dogra. The India skipper, returning to domestic cricket after a decade, scored only three runs off 19 balls. “I know Rohit is something, he is big. When you dismiss an international player of that stature, it is always a prized wicket. There was some help from the surface - I tried to bowl in the right areas, and Rohit’s wicket was important for us and for me, personally, as well,” the pacer added. Umar Mir tames star-studded Mumbai Mir rocked Mumbai early on and took four wickets from Mumbai's first five wickets. His wickets included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore. Also Read: Who is Ankit Bawne, Maharashtra batter with 8,000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy over dissent? After the lanky pacer dismissed Rohit, he clean-bowled Mumbai skipper Rahane through the gates. He trapped Tamore Leg Before Wicket (LBW) next before getting Dube caught behind. By the time Mir was done, Mumbai were reeling at 41/5 in just 15.5 overs. Yudhvir Singh then joined the party and took four wickets himself, including dismissing Shreyas Iyer. Mumbai were eventually bowled out for 120, with Shardul Thakur scoring the highest of 51 while Tanush Kotian managed 26. For J&K, Mir finished with 4/41 while Yudhvir took 4/31 and Auqib Nabi picked up 2/36. In reply, Jammu and Kashmir were 174/7 by the end of play and led by 54 runs in the first innings.

Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy: Umar Nazir didn't celebrate 'prized wicket' Rohit's dismissal because...

India's premier domestic red-ball tournament <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> saw return of international stars for the matches which started on Thursday (Jan 23). From Shubman Gill, India's new vice-captain in ODIs, to Rishabh Pant - the dashing wicketkeeper-batter made an appearance.
The most anticipated match was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-mumbai-vs-jammu-and-kashmir-from-rohit-to-t20-world-cup-winning-all-rounder-how-india-international-players-performed-8647340" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir</a> which featured India skipper Rohit Sharma along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Shivam Dube.
<h2>Here are how India's international players from other matches fared in Ranji Trophy</h2>
<h3>Punjab vs Karnataka&nbsp;</h3>
Shuman Gill (Punjab): The Punjab skipper opened the innings against Karnataka but lasted only eight balls and managed just four runs as his team was bowled out for 55.
Prasidh Krishna (Karnataka): The India pacer, turning up for Karnataka, took 2/11 in eight overs vs Punjab. Krishna most recently played for India in the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Sydney.
Punjab vs Karnataka Score: Punjab - 55 all out 1st innings vs Karnataka - 199/4 1st innings; Karnataka lead by 144 runs after day 1
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-bcci-suspends-ankit-bawne-for-refusing-to-walk-after-being-out-ankit-bawne-ranji-trophy-runs-matches-stats-8646387" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent</a>
<h3>Maharashtra vs Baroda</h3>
Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra): The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper scored just 10 runs in the Ranji Trophy match against Baroda as his team posted 258/7 at the end of day 1.
Maharashtra vs Baroda Score: Maharashtra - 258/7 1st innings on day 1
<h3>Rajasthan vs Vidarbha</h3>
Karun Nair (Vidarbha): The India batter, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/vidarbha-skipper-karun-nair-vijay-hazare-trophy-records-most-runs-by-captain-in-single-season-surpasses-ruturaj-gaikwad-8627898">who recently scored 779 runs at an average of 389.50 in Vijay Hazare Trophy</a>, managed just 39 runs as his side was bowled out for 165. Khaleel Ahmed took for 5/37 Rajasthan.
Rajasthan vs Vidarbha Score: Vidarbha - 165 1st innings vs Rajasthan 101/5 1st innings; Rajasthan trail by 64 runs on day 1
<h3>Delhi vs Saurashtra</h3>
Rishabh Pant (Delhi): The dashing wicketkeeper-batter scored only one run off 10 balls against Saurashtra as his side was bundled out for 188 in the first innings.
Ravindra Jadeja (Saurashtra): India's premier all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja took a five-wicket haul on his return to the Ranji Trophy. Jadeja finished with the figures of 5/66.
Delhi vs Saurashtra Score: Delhi - 188 &nbsp;all out in 1st innings vs Saurashtra - 163/5 in 1st innings; Saurashtra lead by 62 innings on day 1

Ranji Trophy: From Shubman Gill, India's new vice-captain in ODIs, to Rishabh Pant, the dashing wicketkeeper-batter, many stars made an appearance on Jan 23 in domestic cricket. Sports

India's premier domestic red-ball tournament Ranji Trophy saw return of international stars for the matches which started on Thursday (Jan 23). From Shubman Gill, India's new vice-captain in ODIs, to Rishabh Pant - the dashing wicketkeeper-batter made an appearance. The most anticipated match was Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir which featured India skipper Rohit Sharma along with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer and Shivam Dube. Here are how India's international players from other matches fared in Ranji Trophy Punjab vs Karnataka Shuman Gill (Punjab): The Punjab skipper opened the innings against Karnataka but lasted only eight balls and managed just four runs as his team was bowled out for 55. Prasidh Krishna (Karnataka): The India pacer, turning up for Karnataka, took 2/11 in eight overs vs Punjab. Krishna most recently played for India in the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test in Sydney. Punjab vs Karnataka Score: Punjab - 55 all out 1st innings vs Karnataka - 199/4 1st innings; Karnataka lead by 144 runs after day 1 Also Read: Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent Maharashtra vs Baroda Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra): The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper scored just 10 runs in the Ranji Trophy match against Baroda as his team posted 258/7 at the end of day 1. Maharashtra vs Baroda Score: Maharashtra - 258/7 1st innings on day 1 Rajasthan vs Vidarbha Karun Nair (Vidarbha): The India batter, who recently scored 779 runs at an average of 389.50 in Vijay Hazare Trophy, managed just 39 runs as his side was bowled out for 165. Khaleel Ahmed took for 5/37 Rajasthan. Rajasthan vs Vidarbha Score: Vidarbha - 165 1st innings vs Rajasthan 101/5 1st innings; Rajasthan trail by 64 runs on day 1 Delhi vs Saurashtra Rishabh Pant (Delhi): The dashing wicketkeeper-batter scored only one run off 10 balls against Saurashtra as his side was bundled out for 188 in the first innings. Ravindra Jadeja (Saurashtra): India's premier all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja took a five-wicket haul on his return to the Ranji Trophy. Jadeja finished with the figures of 5/66. Delhi vs Saurashtra Score: Delhi - 188 all out in 1st innings vs Saurashtra - 163/5 in 1st innings; Saurashtra lead by 62 innings on day 1

Ranji Trophy: From Shubman Gill to Rishabh Pant - How India players performed

India's premier domestic red-ball tournament <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> matches which started on Thursday (Jan 23) had great anticipation from fans as a lot of India international players took part in it. This comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it mandatory for players to take part in domestic cricket in its latest policy.
It was the Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir Ranji Trophy match that got the most attention, with India skipper Rohit Sharma making a return to domestic cricket. The side also featured Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-bcci-suspends-ankit-bawne-for-refusing-to-walk-after-being-out-ankit-bawne-ranji-trophy-runs-matches-stats-8646387" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent</a>
<h2>Here's how Mumbai's India international players fared in Ranji Trophy vs Jammu and Kashmir on Jan 23:</h2>
Rohit Sharma (Mumbai): The India skipper's horror run with bat continued as he was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-ranji-trophy-dismissal-on-return-video-mumbai-vs-jammu-kashmir-ranji-trophy-8646775" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">dismissed for 3 off 19 balls</a> vs Jammu and Kashmir upon his Ranji Trophy return after a decade.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai): The young India opener could score only four runs off eight balls before being dismissed against Jammu and Kashmir.
Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai): The middle-order batter managed only 11 runs in Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir Ranji Trophy match before being dismissed.
Ajinkya Rahane (Mumbai): The veteran batter and Mumbai skipper scored 12 off 17 in Ranji Trophy match vs J&amp;K.
Shardul Thakur (Mumbai): The India all-rounder scored nearly half of his side's runs vs J&amp;K in Ranji Trophy. Thakur scored 51 in Mumbai's total of 120.
Shivam Dube (Mumbai): The young all-rounder, who was part of India's T20 World Cup win in June 2024, was dismissed for a duck vs J&amp;K.
<h2>Umar Mir tames Mumbai</h2>
Jammu and Kashmir pacer Umar Nazir Mir <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/who-is-umar-nazir-mir-jk-bowler-who-dismissed-india-skipper-rohit-rahane-shivam-dube-in-ranji-trophy-vs-mumbai-8646609" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">bowled a sensational spell</a> in Ranji Trophy match on Thursday against Mumbai. The 6-foot-4 tall Mir took four wickets from five Mumbai's first five wickets, which included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore.

Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir: The much was highly anticipated with India skipper Rohit Sharma making a return to domestic cricket. Sports

India's premier domestic red-ball tournament Ranji Trophy matches which started on Thursday (Jan 23) had great anticipation from fans as a lot of India international players took part in it. This comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it mandatory for players to take part in domestic cricket in its latest policy. It was the Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir Ranji Trophy match that got the most attention, with India skipper Rohit Sharma making a return to domestic cricket. The side also featured Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Also Read: Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent Here's how Mumbai's India international players fared in Ranji Trophy vs Jammu and Kashmir on Jan 23: Rohit Sharma (Mumbai): The India skipper's horror run with bat continued as he was dismissed for 3 off 19 balls vs Jammu and Kashmir upon his Ranji Trophy return after a decade. Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai): The young India opener could score only four runs off eight balls before being dismissed against Jammu and Kashmir. Shreyas Iyer (Mumbai): The middle-order batter managed only 11 runs in Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir Ranji Trophy match before being dismissed. Ajinkya Rahane (Mumbai): The veteran batter and Mumbai skipper scored 12 off 17 in Ranji Trophy match vs J&K. Shardul Thakur (Mumbai): The India all-rounder scored nearly half of his side's runs vs J&K in Ranji Trophy. Thakur scored 51 in Mumbai's total of 120. Shivam Dube (Mumbai): The young all-rounder, who was part of India's T20 World Cup win in June 2024, was dismissed for a duck vs J&K. Umar Mir tames Mumbai Jammu and Kashmir pacer Umar Nazir Mir bowled a sensational spell in Ranji Trophy match on Thursday against Mumbai. The 6-foot-4 tall Mir took four wickets from five Mumbai's first five wickets, which included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore.

Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir: From Rohit to T20 World Cup winning all-rounder - How India's international players fared

India's Test stars Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill failed in their Ranji Trophy return, getting out cheaply. Watch this report for more details!

Flop show by India Test stars on Ranji Trophy return

India skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a>'s Ranji Trophy return after a 10-year hiatus lasted only 19 balls. Rohit was dismissed for a meagre three runs by Umar Mir during Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy </a>match on Thursday (Jan 23). The India skipper, who has been struggling for form this whole season was disheartened after the lame dismissal.
J&amp;K bowler Mir, who is 6-foot-4 tall, surprised Rohit with a fast short-pitch delivery which the Indian skipper lobbed to mid-off region only to be caught by J&amp;K skipper Paras Dogra. Have look at the video below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
<a href="https://twitter.com/itsmihir412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@itsmihir412</a> <a href="https://t.co/PXawxTr7Wi">pic.twitter.com/PXawxTr7Wi</a>
&mdash; stuud (@stuud18) <a href="https://twitter.com/stuud18/status/1882285838329123064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Rohit's form has raised a lot of concern after his disappointing returns in Test cricket. Rohit has played eight Tests this season and scored only 164 runs in 15 innings at an abysmal average of 10.93.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-bcci-suspends-ankit-bawne-for-refusing-to-walk-after-being-out-ankit-bawne-ranji-trophy-runs-matches-stats-8646387" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent</a>
He was especially poor on India's tour of Australia, where he played three Tests and scored only 31 runs in five innings. He eventually sat out of the final Test in Sydney due to poor form.
<h2>Mir rocks Mumbai with four-wicket haul</h2>
Mir rocked Mumbai early on and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/who-is-umar-nazir-mir-jk-bowler-who-dismissed-india-skipper-rohit-rahane-shivam-dube-in-ranji-trophy-vs-mumbai-8646609" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">took four wickets from Mumbai's first five</a> wickets. His wickets included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore.
After the lanky pacer dismissed Rohit, he clean-bowled Mumbai skipper Rahane through the gates. He trapped Tamore Leg Before Wicket (LBW) next before getting Dube caught behind.
By the time Mir was done, Mumbai were reeling at 41/5 in just 15.5 overs. Yudhvir Singh then joined the party and took four wickets himself, including dismissing Shreyas Iyer.
Mumbai were eventually bowled out for 120 with Shardul Thakur scoring the highest of 51 while Tanush Kotian managed 26. For J&amp;K, Mir finished with 4/41 while Yudhvir took 4/31 and Auqib Nabi picked up 2/36.

Ranji Trophy: India skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been struggling for form this whole season was disheartened after the lame dismissal in Mumbai vs J&K.  Cricket Sports

India skipper Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy return after a 10-year hiatus lasted only 19 balls. Rohit was dismissed for a meagre three runs by Umar Mir during Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir Ranji Trophy match on Thursday (Jan 23). The India skipper, who has been struggling for form this whole season was disheartened after the lame dismissal. J&K bowler Mir, who is 6-foot-4 tall, surprised Rohit with a fast short-pitch delivery which the Indian skipper lobbed to mid-off region only to be caught by J&K skipper Paras Dogra. Have look at the video below: @itsmihir412 pic.twitter.com/PXawxTr7Wi — stuud (@stuud18) January 23, 2025 Rohit's form has raised a lot of concern after his disappointing returns in Test cricket. Rohit has played eight Tests this season and scored only 164 runs in 15 innings at an abysmal average of 10.93. Also Read: Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent He was especially poor on India's tour of Australia, where he played three Tests and scored only 31 runs in five innings. He eventually sat out of the final Test in Sydney due to poor form. Mir rocks Mumbai with four-wicket haul Mir rocked Mumbai early on and took four wickets from Mumbai's first five wickets. His wickets included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore. After the lanky pacer dismissed Rohit, he clean-bowled Mumbai skipper Rahane through the gates. He trapped Tamore Leg Before Wicket (LBW) next before getting Dube caught behind. By the time Mir was done, Mumbai were reeling at 41/5 in just 15.5 overs. Yudhvir Singh then joined the party and took four wickets himself, including dismissing Shreyas Iyer. Mumbai were eventually bowled out for 120 with Shardul Thakur scoring the highest of 51 while Tanush Kotian managed 26. For J&K, Mir finished with 4/41 while Yudhvir took 4/31 and Auqib Nabi picked up 2/36.

Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy return for Mumbai ends with lame dismissal - WATCH

Jammu and Kashmir bowler Umar Nazir Mir bowled a sensational spell in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy </a>match on Thursday (Jan 23) against Mumbai featuring India skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a>. Mir took four wickets from five Mumbai's first five wickets, which included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ajinkya Rahane</a>, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore.
Mir, who is 6-foot-4 tall, surprised Rohit with a fast short-pitch delivery, which the Indian skipper lobbed to mid-off region only to be caught by J&amp;K skipper Paras Dogra. Rohit, who is making Ranji Trophy return after a 10-year hiatus, could only score three runs during his stay.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-bcci-suspends-ankit-bawne-for-refusing-to-walk-after-being-out-ankit-bawne-ranji-trophy-runs-matches-stats-8646387" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent</a>
Next to go was Rahane whom Mir clean bowled through the gates. The lanky pacer trapped Tamore Leg Before Wicket (LBW) next before getting Dube caught behind.
<h2>Who is Umar Nazar Mir?</h2>
Mir hails from Pulwama in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and made his First Class debut in 2013. He went wicketless in his debut innings against Assam and managed only a single wicket in the second innings.
Since then, the pacer has come a long way and has played 57 First Class matches. He has taken 138 wickets in those games at an economy of 3.13 and a strike rate of 55.7. Mir has taken a four-wicket haul four times and a five-wicket haul in an innings six times in his First Class career. His best bowling in an innings is 6/53 while the best figures in a match are 9/116. He was also selected in India C squad for Deodhar Trophy 2018-19.
In List A cricket, Mir has played 36 matches and has taken 54 wickets since his debut against Haryana in 2014 with a best of 5/32.&nbsp;
In T20s, the pacer made the debut in 2015 but has managed to play only 24 games so far with 20 wickets to his name along with a best of 5/17.

Ranji Trophy: Mir, who is 6-foot-4 tall, surprised Rohit with a fast short-pitch delivery which the Indian skipper lobbed to mid-off region only to be caught, Cricket Sports

Jammu and Kashmir bowler Umar Nazir Mir bowled a sensational spell in Ranji Trophy match on Thursday (Jan 23) against Mumbai featuring India skipper Rohit Sharma. Mir took four wickets from five Mumbai's first five wickets, which included India skipper Rohit, Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, India T20 World Cup winner Shivam Dube, and middle-order batter Hardik Tamore. Mir, who is 6-foot-4 tall, surprised Rohit with a fast short-pitch delivery, which the Indian skipper lobbed to mid-off region only to be caught by J&K skipper Paras Dogra. Rohit, who is making Ranji Trophy return after a 10-year hiatus, could only score three runs during his stay. Also Read: Meet Ankit Bawne - Maharashtra batter with 8000-plus runs suspended by BCCI in Ranji Trophy for showing dissent Next to go was Rahane whom Mir clean bowled through the gates. The lanky pacer trapped Tamore Leg Before Wicket (LBW) next before getting Dube caught behind. Who is Umar Nazar Mir? Mir hails from Pulwama in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and made his First Class debut in 2013. He went wicketless in his debut innings against Assam and managed only a single wicket in the second innings. Since then, the pacer has come a long way and has played 57 First Class matches. He has taken 138 wickets in those games at an economy of 3.13 and a strike rate of 55.7. Mir has taken a four-wicket haul four times and a five-wicket haul in an innings six times in his First Class career. His best bowling in an innings is 6/53 while the best figures in a match are 9/116. He was also selected in India C squad for Deodhar Trophy 2018-19. In List A cricket, Mir has played 36 matches and has taken 54 wickets since his debut against Haryana in 2014 with a best of 5/32. In T20s, the pacer made the debut in 2015 but has managed to play only 24 games so far with 20 wickets to his name along with a best of 5/17.

Meet Umar Nazir Mir - J&K bowler who dismissed India skipper Rohit in Ranji Trophy comeback for Mumbai

Ahead of the grand opening ceremony and the captains&rsquo; event for the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> 2025, there is still no clarity to whether India captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> will travel to Pakistan. &nbsp;
The captains&rsquo; event is tentatively scheduled around February 16 or 17 in Karachi, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?title=BCCI">BCCI</a>) is yet to get any official communication on it from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/international-cricket-council">ICC</a>.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It [Rohit travelling to Pakistan] has not yet been discussed. It is not on the agenda yet,&rdquo; ESPNcricinfo quogetd Devjit Saikia, the BCCI's newly appointed secretary, as saying.&nbsp;
It is understood that the PCB has requested the ICC to ensure that, as per standard practice, all teams and captains are available for the Champions Trophy photoshoot, opening ceremony and other pre-tournament engagements.&nbsp;
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning a grand event, tentatively scheduled for February 16 or 17, subject to warm-up match fixtures.&nbsp;
Earlier reports had said that Rohit Sharma will be travelling to Pakistan to attend the opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy. &nbsp;
The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan.&nbsp;
<h2>India to play at a neutral venue</h2>
India won't travel to Pakistan to play in the Champions Trophy despite the latter being announced as the hosts by the International Cricket Council. The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed that they have not received the required permission from the Indian government to send their team to Pakistan.&nbsp;
Due to India's reluctance, the tournament is set to be played in a hybrid format, with Pakistan hosting most of the matches, but all of India's group games and the first semi-final will be played in Dubai.&nbsp;
The tournament will begin on February 19 when the hosts Pakistan will take in New Zealand in Karachi. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan match will be held on February 23 in Dubai.&nbsp;
The final of the Champions Trophy will be played on March 9.&nbsp;

Sports, Cricket: The captains’ event is tentatively scheduled around February 16 or 17 in Karachi, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to get any official communication on it from the ICC

Ahead of the grand opening ceremony and the captains’ event for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, there is still no clarity to whether India captain Rohit Sharma will travel to Pakistan. The captains’ event is tentatively scheduled around February 16 or 17 in Karachi, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to get any official communication on it from the ICC. “It [Rohit travelling to Pakistan] has not yet been discussed. It is not on the agenda yet,” ESPNcricinfo quogetd Devjit Saikia, the BCCI's newly appointed secretary, as saying. It is understood that the PCB has requested the ICC to ensure that, as per standard practice, all teams and captains are available for the Champions Trophy photoshoot, opening ceremony and other pre-tournament engagements. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning a grand event, tentatively scheduled for February 16 or 17, subject to warm-up match fixtures. Earlier reports had said that Rohit Sharma will be travelling to Pakistan to attend the opening ceremony of the Champions Trophy. The eight-team event will feature Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand and South Africa, alongside hosts Pakistan. India to play at a neutral venue India won't travel to Pakistan to play in the Champions Trophy despite the latter being announced as the hosts by the International Cricket Council. The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed that they have not received the required permission from the Indian government to send their team to Pakistan. Due to India's reluctance, the tournament is set to be played in a hybrid format, with Pakistan hosting most of the matches, but all of India's group games and the first semi-final will be played in Dubai. The tournament will begin on February 19 when the hosts Pakistan will take in New Zealand in Karachi. The highly anticipated India-Pakistan match will be held on February 23 in Dubai. The final of the Champions Trophy will be played on March 9.

Champions Trophy 2025: Uncertainty looms over Rohit Sharma’s plan to travel to Pakistan to attend opening ceremony

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>&rsquo;s much-talked-about return to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> lasted just 19 balls as he got out for three runs during Mumbai&rsquo;s home game against Jammu &amp; Kashmir on Thursday (Jan 23). Besides Rohit, his fellow India teammates, Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai) and Shubman Gill (Punjab) also fell cheaply, with batting miseries continuing in Indian cricket.
After Mumbai elected to bat first at the BKC, Rohit and Jaiswal opened the innings; both returned to the pavilion inside the first half an hour. While Auqib Nabi trapped the young opener in front of the wicket on just four, seamer Umar Nazir dismissed the Indian captain who played a mistimed shot, with J&amp;K captain Paras Dogra grabbing it successfully.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/kolkata-1st-t20i-england-hero-abhishek-sharma-reflects-on-managements-support-we-know-youre-going-to-win-the-game-for-us-8645811" rel="dofollow">Abhishek Sharma reflects on management&rsquo;s support after 1st T20I heroics</a>
The disappointment continued for the batting veteran, who endured a horrible run with the bat in the past two Test match series. Against New Zealand, Rohit was vulnerable to the new ball, while others struggled against spin. However, on his recent and perhaps last tour Down Under, Rohit scored just 31 runs across five innings in three Tests.
Though Rohit missed the series opener in Perth for personal reasons, the only Test India won on that tour (under Jasprit Bumrah&rsquo;s captaincy), his return to the playing XI, batting at number six in the second and third Test before returning to the top at the MCG helped India in no way. He never looked comfortable in the middle, reflecting his poor reflexes and ability to put the opposition down with his bat.&nbsp;
The Indian skipper sat out of the final Test, with India going down at the SCG, eventually conceding the BGT (for the first time in ten years) and the chance to qualify for their third straight WTC Final in England.&nbsp;
<h2>The repercussions</h2>
In the wake of two horrid outcomes, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci">BCCI</a> tightened the screws by making it mandatory for everyone to feature in the domestic matches. Those opting out without obtaining permission from the chief selector and the head coach shall face penalties beyond disciplinary actions.
Following BCCI&rsquo;s latest ten-point policy mandate shared with all centrally-contracted players and state associations, top stars like Rohit, Jaiswal, Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant vowed to feature for their respective Ranji Trophy teams.
<h3>No luck for the youngsters</h3>
Let alone Rohit, none of the top-order players, including Jaiswal and Gill - all three of whom have been picked for the Champions Trophy - failed to leave any mark. While Jaiswal got out for four, Gill, opening the innings for Punjab, departed for just four.&nbsp;
Elsewhere, Mumbai captain and out-of-favour India batter Ajinkya Rahane got out for 12 bowled by Nazir, who removed Rohit early.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: India captain Rohit Sharma departed for another single-digit score, but this time on his much-awaited Ranji Trophy return for Mumbai. 

Rohit Sharma’s much-talked-about return to the Ranji Trophy lasted just 19 balls as he got out for three runs during Mumbai’s home game against Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday (Jan 23). Besides Rohit, his fellow India teammates, Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai) and Shubman Gill (Punjab) also fell cheaply, with batting miseries continuing in Indian cricket. After Mumbai elected to bat first at the BKC, Rohit and Jaiswal opened the innings; both returned to the pavilion inside the first half an hour. While Auqib Nabi trapped the young opener in front of the wicket on just four, seamer Umar Nazir dismissed the Indian captain who played a mistimed shot, with J&K captain Paras Dogra grabbing it successfully. Also read | Abhishek Sharma reflects on management’s support after 1st T20I heroics The disappointment continued for the batting veteran, who endured a horrible run with the bat in the past two Test match series. Against New Zealand, Rohit was vulnerable to the new ball, while others struggled against spin. However, on his recent and perhaps last tour Down Under, Rohit scored just 31 runs across five innings in three Tests. Though Rohit missed the series opener in Perth for personal reasons, the only Test India won on that tour (under Jasprit Bumrah’s captaincy), his return to the playing XI, batting at number six in the second and third Test before returning to the top at the MCG helped India in no way. He never looked comfortable in the middle, reflecting his poor reflexes and ability to put the opposition down with his bat. The Indian skipper sat out of the final Test, with India going down at the SCG, eventually conceding the BGT (for the first time in ten years) and the chance to qualify for their third straight WTC Final in England. The repercussions In the wake of two horrid outcomes, the BCCI tightened the screws by making it mandatory for everyone to feature in the domestic matches. Those opting out without obtaining permission from the chief selector and the head coach shall face penalties beyond disciplinary actions. Following BCCI’s latest ten-point policy mandate shared with all centrally-contracted players and state associations, top stars like Rohit, Jaiswal, Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant vowed to feature for their respective Ranji Trophy teams. No luck for the youngsters Let alone Rohit, none of the top-order players, including Jaiswal and Gill - all three of whom have been picked for the Champions Trophy - failed to leave any mark. While Jaiswal got out for four, Gill, opening the innings for Punjab, departed for just four. Elsewhere, Mumbai captain and out-of-favour India batter Ajinkya Rahane got out for 12 bowled by Nazir, who removed Rohit early. (With inputs from agencies)

Rohit Sharma dismissed cheaply on Ranji Trophy return; Jaiswal, Gill fail

Mumbai captain and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a>'s teammate Ajinkya Rahane has backed the Indian skipper to come good in the domestic tournament <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a>. Rohit will play in Mumbai's next Ranji game against Jammu and Kashmir from January 23 to 26. Rohit has played eight Tests this season and scored only 164 runs in 15 innings at an abysmal average of 10.93.
<h2>Rahane backs Rohit to come good</h2>
"What is important is he is hungry, he is determined to do well," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ajinkya-rahane" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rahane</a> said about Rohit as reported by news agency PTI on the eve of their match against J&amp;K.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/mohammed-siraj-gears-up-for-ranji-trophy-knockout-stage-after-champions-trophy-2025-snub-8643050" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Mohammed Siraj gears up for Ranji Trophy knockout stage after Champions Trophy 2025 snub</a>
"I am sure once he gets in, he will get a big one. He batted really well yesterday [in] a couple of [net] sessions, so it's part and parcel of a player's career. I am really confident about Rohit. He has always been relaxed. Even playing at the international level, his character is similar. 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," Rahane added.
<h3>How many runs did Rohit score in his last Ranji Trophy match?</h3>
Rohit last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. He was required to bat only once in the match and scored 113 off 140 balls as Mumbai declared their innings at 610/9. Rohit had batted at number four, between Shreyas Iyer (137 runs) and Suryakumar Yadav (58 runs).
<h3>Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy stats</h3>
Rohit made his debut for Mumbai in 2008 before playing his last match in 2015. In seven years, the Indian skipper went on to play 29 matches and batted in 42 innings, scoring 3,170 runs at an average of 88.05 with 13 centuries and 11 fifties.
Overall, Rohit has played 128 first-class matches (including 67 Tests) and has scored 9,287 runs (including 4,301 Test runs) at an average of 49 with 29 hundreds (12 in Tests) and 38 fifties (18 in Tests).

Rohit last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh and scored 113 off 140 balls as Mumbai declared their innings at 610/9. Cricket Sports

Mumbai captain and Rohit Sharma's teammate Ajinkya Rahane has backed the Indian skipper to come good in the domestic tournament Ranji Trophy. Rohit will play in Mumbai's next Ranji game against Jammu and Kashmir from January 23 to 26. Rohit has played eight Tests this season and scored only 164 runs in 15 innings at an abysmal average of 10.93. Rahane backs Rohit to come good "What is important is he is hungry, he is determined to do well," Rahane said about Rohit as reported by news agency PTI on the eve of their match against J&K. Also Read: Mohammed Siraj gears up for Ranji Trophy knockout stage after Champions Trophy 2025 snub "I am sure once he gets in, he will get a big one. He batted really well yesterday [in] a couple of [net] sessions, so it's part and parcel of a player's career. I am really confident about Rohit. He has always been relaxed. Even playing at the international level, his character is similar. 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," Rahane added. How many runs did Rohit score in his last Ranji Trophy match? Rohit last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. He was required to bat only once in the match and scored 113 off 140 balls as Mumbai declared their innings at 610/9. Rohit had batted at number four, between Shreyas Iyer (137 runs) and Suryakumar Yadav (58 runs). Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy stats Rohit made his debut for Mumbai in 2008 before playing his last match in 2015. In seven years, the Indian skipper went on to play 29 matches and batted in 42 innings, scoring 3,170 runs at an average of 88.05 with 13 centuries and 11 fifties. Overall, Rohit has played 128 first-class matches (including 67 Tests) and has scored 9,287 runs (including 4,301 Test runs) at an average of 49 with 29 hundreds (12 in Tests) and 38 fifties (18 in Tests).

'His attitude is...,' Ajinkya Rahane on Rohit Sharma ahead of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy match vs J&K

Ahead of India captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>&rsquo;s first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> match for the Mumbai team in a decade, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has made special security and seating arrangements for as many as 500 people. This will be Rohit's first Ranji outing for Mumbai since November 2015.
Defending champions Mumbai will begin the second leg of the Ranji Trophy at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC against Jammu and Kashmir, starting on Thursday (Jan 23). Rohit was named in Mumbai's 17-member squad along with fellow Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal after Rohit confirmed his participation in domestic cricket.
Interestingly, Rohit will enter an elite list as he will be the first Test captain after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/anil-kumble">Anil Kumble</a> to play in a Ranji Trophy game in the last 17 years.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-eng-1st-t20i-match-prediction-india-look-to-continue-impressive-run-under-suryakumar-yadav-8642577">IND vs ENG, 1st T20I match prediction: India look to continue impressive run under Suryakumar Yadav</a>
The MCA is expecting a huge crowd turnout at their BKC facility for Rohit's comeback match. However, seating arrangements can accommodate only up to 500 people at the venue where the Mumbai team has regularly played its league games in the Ranji Trophy.
&ldquo;Additional security has been arranged and we have also increased the sitting capacity of fans up to 500,&rdquo; a MCA official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
<h2>Happy that Rohit is playing in Ranji: Gavaskar</h2>
Former Indian captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sunil-gavaskar">Sunil Gavaskar</a> was happy to learn that Rohit was returning to the Ranji Trophy. &ldquo;Yes, it&rsquo;s a good thing because, look, he didn&rsquo;t get runs in Australia, so he knows he needs to spend time out in the middle. How much net practice you have or however many throwdowns you face, batting in a game, feeling the ball in the middle of the bat, knowing that a mistake will send you back to the pavilion, and then still scoring runs is a big, big difference,&rdquo; Sunil Gavaskar said in an interview.
Mumbai are currently ranked third in Elite Group A, trailing table-toppers Baroda and second-placed Jammu and Kashmir.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: Defending champions Mumbai will begin the second leg of the Ranji Trophy at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC against Jammu and Kashmir, starting on Thursday (Jan 23).

Ahead of India captain Rohit Sharma’s first Ranji Trophy match for the Mumbai team in a decade, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has made special security and seating arrangements for as many as 500 people. This will be Rohit's first Ranji outing for Mumbai since November 2015. Defending champions Mumbai will begin the second leg of the Ranji Trophy at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC against Jammu and Kashmir, starting on Thursday (Jan 23). Rohit was named in Mumbai's 17-member squad along with fellow Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal after Rohit confirmed his participation in domestic cricket. Interestingly, Rohit will enter an elite list as he will be the first Test captain after Anil Kumble to play in a Ranji Trophy game in the last 17 years. Also Read: IND vs ENG, 1st T20I match prediction: India look to continue impressive run under Suryakumar Yadav The MCA is expecting a huge crowd turnout at their BKC facility for Rohit's comeback match. However, seating arrangements can accommodate only up to 500 people at the venue where the Mumbai team has regularly played its league games in the Ranji Trophy. “Additional security has been arranged and we have also increased the sitting capacity of fans up to 500,” a MCA official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Happy that Rohit is playing in Ranji: Gavaskar Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was happy to learn that Rohit was returning to the Ranji Trophy. “Yes, it’s a good thing because, look, he didn’t get runs in Australia, so he knows he needs to spend time out in the middle. How much net practice you have or however many throwdowns you face, batting in a game, feeling the ball in the middle of the bat, knowing that a mistake will send you back to the pavilion, and then still scoring runs is a big, big difference,” Sunil Gavaskar said in an interview. Mumbai are currently ranked third in Elite Group A, trailing table-toppers Baroda and second-placed Jammu and Kashmir. (With inputs from agencies)

Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Security upped as Rohit Sharma takes the field for Mumbai again

India skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a> is set to play for Mumbai in the red-ball tournament Ranji Trophy 10 years after playing his last first-class match in domestic cricket. Rohit confirmed his availability during the announcement of India's 15-man squad for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy-2025" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy 2025</a>.
"Yes, I will play," Rohit said when asked specifically about his participation in domestic cricket.&nbsp;
Rohit will play in Mumbai's next Ranji game against Jammu and Kashmir from January 23 to 26. The side also includes other big players, namely, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shardul Thakur as well.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-lsg-skipper-rishabh-pant-record-as-captain-wins-loss-runs-and-all-you-need-to-know-8638707" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">IPL 2025: New LSG skipper Rishabh Pant's record as captain - All you need to know</a>
<h2>How many runs did Rohit score in his last Ranji Trophy match?</h2>
Rohit last played in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. He was required to bat only once in the match and scored 113 off 140 balls as Mumbai declared their innings at 610/9. Rohit had batted at number four, between Shreyas Iyer (137 runs) and Suryakumar Yadav (58 runs).
<h2>Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy stats</h2>
Rohit made his debut for Mumbai in 2008 before playing his last match in 2015. In seven years, the Indian skipper went on to play 29 matches and batted in 42 innings, scoring 3,170 runs at an average of 88.05 with 13 centuries and 11 fifties.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After 10 Long Years 𝗥𝗼𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮 set to Play in Ranji Trophy! Rohit in Ranji Trophy (2008-2015) 29 matches 42 Innings 3170 runs 88.05 Avg 13 Centuries 11 Half Centuries <a href="https://t.co/Vy0l5vgzgp">pic.twitter.com/Vy0l5vgzgp</a>
&mdash; 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shebas_10dulkar/status/1880966652214538433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Overall, Rohit has played 128 first-class matches (including 67 Tests) and has scored 9,287 runs (including 4,301 Test runs) at an average of 49 with 29 hundreds (12 in Tests) and 38 fifties (18 in Tests).
Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad for match against Jammu and Kashmir: Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Hardik Tamore (wk), Akash Anand (wk), Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Awasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Royston Dias, Karsh Kothari
&nbsp;

Rohit had last played in Ranji Trophy in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. He was required to bat only once in the match and had scored 113 off 140 balls. Cricket Sports

India skipper Rohit Sharma is set to play for Mumbai in the red-ball tournament Ranji Trophy 10 years after playing his last first-class match in domestic cricket. Rohit confirmed his availability during the announcement of India's 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. "Yes, I will play," Rohit said when asked specifically about his participation in domestic cricket. Rohit will play in Mumbai's next Ranji game against Jammu and Kashmir from January 23 to 26. The side also includes other big players, namely, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shardul Thakur as well. Also Read: IPL 2025: New LSG skipper Rishabh Pant's record as captain - All you need to know How many runs did Rohit score in his last Ranji Trophy match? Rohit last played in the Ranji Trophy in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. He was required to bat only once in the match and scored 113 off 140 balls as Mumbai declared their innings at 610/9. Rohit had batted at number four, between Shreyas Iyer (137 runs) and Suryakumar Yadav (58 runs). Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy stats Rohit made his debut for Mumbai in 2008 before playing his last match in 2015. In seven years, the Indian skipper went on to play 29 matches and batted in 42 innings, scoring 3,170 runs at an average of 88.05 with 13 centuries and 11 fifties. After 10 Long Years 𝗥𝗼𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗮 set to Play in Ranji Trophy! Rohit in Ranji Trophy (2008-2015) 29 matches 42 Innings 3170 runs 88.05 Avg 13 Centuries 11 Half Centuries pic.twitter.com/Vy0l5vgzgp — 𝑺𝒉𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒔 (@Shebas_10dulkar) January 19, 2025 Overall, Rohit has played 128 first-class matches (including 67 Tests) and has scored 9,287 runs (including 4,301 Test runs) at an average of 49 with 29 hundreds (12 in Tests) and 38 fifties (18 in Tests). Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad for match against Jammu and Kashmir: Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ayush Mhatre, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Shivam Dube, Hardik Tamore (wk), Akash Anand (wk), Tanush Kotian, Shams Mulani, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Awasthi, Sylvester Dsouza, Royston Dias, Karsh Kothari

Rohit Sharma to play in Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai after 10 years

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says pacer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mohammed-siraj">Mohammed Siraj</a> should have been in India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad. The comments come a couple of days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/bumrah-shami-return-to-15-man-india-squad-for-champions-trophy-karun-nair-misses-out-8632588">15-man squad</a> for the ICC tournament, which is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9.
"In my opinion, Mohammed Siraj should have been a part of this team, and I will even tell in whose place he should have been there," Chopra stated on his YouTube channel. "The team has two left-arm spinners and one off-spinner. You could have dropped one of the three. If you wished, you could have left out Ravindra Jadeja and kept Mohammed Siraj in his place."
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"I feel Siraj would have had greater value. He would have been used more. He would have contributed more to the team, and I see lesser chances of Jadeja playing. Honestly speaking, he might not play at all. So if Jadeja is not going to play, you would have had a player who would have had greater chances of playing," he added.
<h2>Why was Siraj not picked?</h2>
During the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad announcement press conference, skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> explained that Siraj's impact with the new ball has dipped and hence he has not been selected in the squad.
&ldquo;That's purely because we thought over it. We are not sure about Bumrah, whether he is going to play or not. So, we thought of wanting someone who can bowl with the new ball and at the backend. So we picked Arshdeep to bowl at the backend. Shami, we all saw what he can do with the new ball," Rohit had said on January 18.
India have three pacers in the squad in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh with all-rounder Hardik Pandya expected to play a role with the ball as well.

During the Champions Trophy 2025 squad announcement, skipper Rohit explained that Siraj's impact with the new ball has dipped and hence he has not been selected. Cricket Sports

Former India opener Aakash Chopra says pacer Mohammed Siraj should have been in India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad. The comments come a couple of days after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-man squad for the ICC tournament, which is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9. "In my opinion, Mohammed Siraj should have been a part of this team, and I will even tell in whose place he should have been there," Chopra stated on his YouTube channel. "The team has two left-arm spinners and one off-spinner. You could have dropped one of the three. If you wished, you could have left out Ravindra Jadeja and kept Mohammed Siraj in his place." Also Read: Vice-captain Axar Patel ready for new challenge with ‘role flexibility’ in England T20Is "I feel Siraj would have had greater value. He would have been used more. He would have contributed more to the team, and I see lesser chances of Jadeja playing. Honestly speaking, he might not play at all. So if Jadeja is not going to play, you would have had a player who would have had greater chances of playing," he added. Why was Siraj not picked? During the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad announcement press conference, skipper Rohit Sharma explained that Siraj's impact with the new ball has dipped and hence he has not been selected in the squad. “That's purely because we thought over it. We are not sure about Bumrah, whether he is going to play or not. So, we thought of wanting someone who can bowl with the new ball and at the backend. So we picked Arshdeep to bowl at the backend. Shami, we all saw what he can do with the new ball," Rohit had said on January 18. India have three pacers in the squad in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Arshdeep Singh with all-rounder Hardik Pandya expected to play a role with the ball as well.

2025 Champions Trophy: 'Could have dropped...,' Ex-India opener feels Mohammed Siraj should have been in India squad

Amid all the drama and talks around <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>&rsquo;s form, captaincy and position in the team, especially in Tests, the Indian captain vows to bring the coveted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">ICC Champions Trophy</a> (CT) title home, he said during Wankhede&rsquo;s 50th anniversary celebratory event in Mumbai on Sunday (Jan 19). Recalling the victory parade in the city following India&rsquo;s T20 World Cup win in the Americas last year, Rohit said he wishes to relive that moment again this time.
Present alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Ravi Shastri at a ceremony hosted by the Mumbai Cricket Association, Rohit posed with the CT trophy but at a distance despite Gavaskar and Shastri pushing him to come closer to it. In a heartfelt video doing rounds on social media, Rohit politely denied their request, urging the seniors to take centre stage instead.&nbsp;
<h3>Watch &ndash;</h3>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m64pnd42-25li9964-cgax89q5">
Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri were asking Captain Rohit Sharma to stand near the Champions Trophy during photo shoot, but Rohit refused to stand near the trophy and stood in the corner.🥹❤️ Captain bring it home 🏆 <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> 🐐 <a href="https://t.co/GeqWV2aoij">pic.twitter.com/GeqWV2aoij</a>
&mdash; 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) <a href="https://twitter.com/rushiii_12/status/1880986561313165599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
Meanwhile, Rohit continues to lead India in the eight-team tournament in Dubai (Pakistan being the original host), with the BCCI selectors announcing a potent 15-man squad late last week.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/fit-again-shami-throws-rockets-with-strapped-knee-in-training-ahead-of-england-t20i-opener-watch-8636647" rel="dofollow">Fit-again Shami throws rockets in training with strapped knee - Watch</a>
Banking on the support from millions of cricket fans back home and his team&rsquo;s performance, Rohit wishes to bring the title home, celebrating again at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m64pr8ar-e5d8szqf-zwngiv9t">
𝗔 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲! 🤩 The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampionsTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChampionsTrophy</a> was graced by the icons of Indian cricket at the historic Wankhede Stadium 🏆🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/vzkdHDgPLk">pic.twitter.com/vzkdHDgPLk</a>
&mdash; ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1881005977241334225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
"We will embark on another tournament. I am sure when we reach Dubai, the wishes of 140 crore people will be behind us, we know that," Rohit said. "We will try and do everything we can to bring this trophy back here to the Wankhede," he added.
While the tournament begins (on February 19) in Pakistan, India will play all its matches in Dubai (the neutral venue) under the approved hybrid model, including the semis and the final, should they qualify.&nbsp;
India, placed in Group A, will open their campaign against Bangladesh (February 20) before facing the arch-rivals three days later. Rohit&rsquo;s side will take on New Zealand in their last league match a week later at the same venue.
<h2>Rohit recalls victory parade</h2>
After Team India ended their ICC trophy drought last year with their second T20 World Cup title, the fans gave a heroic welcome to Rohit&rsquo;s team upon their return to the country.
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A sea of cricket fans wearing blue jerseys surrounded Team India&rsquo;s open-roof bus parade along the Marine Drive culminating with a massive celebration at the Wankhede Stadium.
"I remember, we were still in Barbados after winning the World Cup, and we were stuck there due to a storm, but planning was in process as to what we would do once we were back in India.
"It was planned that we would go to Delhi, but what after that? No one knew what to do after that, but I wanted that World Cup (trophy) should come here to Wankhede. Each of the recent World Cups we have won in 2007 and 2011 has been celebrated at Wankhede, and bringing the trophy of 2024 was also very important for us," Rohit added.
Meanwhile, Rohit will return to action during the three-match ODI series against England starting February 6.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: After India ended their ICC trophy drought with their second T20 World Cup title, the fans gave a heroic welcome to them upon their return to the country.

Amid all the drama and talks around Rohit Sharma’s form, captaincy and position in the team, especially in Tests, the Indian captain vows to bring the coveted ICC Champions Trophy (CT) title home, he said during Wankhede’s 50th anniversary celebratory event in Mumbai on Sunday (Jan 19). Recalling the victory parade in the city following India’s T20 World Cup win in the Americas last year, Rohit said he wishes to relive that moment again this time. Present alongside Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and Ravi Shastri at a ceremony hosted by the Mumbai Cricket Association, Rohit posed with the CT trophy but at a distance despite Gavaskar and Shastri pushing him to come closer to it. In a heartfelt video doing rounds on social media, Rohit politely denied their request, urging the seniors to take centre stage instead. Watch – Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri were asking Captain Rohit Sharma to stand near the Champions Trophy during photo shoot, but Rohit refused to stand near the trophy and stood in the corner.🥹❤️ Captain bring it home 🏆 @ImRo45 🐐 pic.twitter.com/GeqWV2aoij — 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) January 19, 2025 Meanwhile, Rohit continues to lead India in the eight-team tournament in Dubai (Pakistan being the original host), with the BCCI selectors announcing a potent 15-man squad late last week. Also read | Fit-again Shami throws rockets in training with strapped knee - Watch Banking on the support from millions of cricket fans back home and his team’s performance, Rohit wishes to bring the title home, celebrating again at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. 𝗔 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲! 🤩 The #ChampionsTrophy was graced by the icons of Indian cricket at the historic Wankhede Stadium 🏆🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/vzkdHDgPLk — ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2025 "We will embark on another tournament. I am sure when we reach Dubai, the wishes of 140 crore people will be behind us, we know that," Rohit said. "We will try and do everything we can to bring this trophy back here to the Wankhede," he added. While the tournament begins (on February 19) in Pakistan, India will play all its matches in Dubai (the neutral venue) under the approved hybrid model, including the semis and the final, should they qualify. India, placed in Group A, will open their campaign against Bangladesh (February 20) before facing the arch-rivals three days later. Rohit’s side will take on New Zealand in their last league match a week later at the same venue. Rohit recalls victory parade After Team India ended their ICC trophy drought last year with their second T20 World Cup title, the fans gave a heroic welcome to Rohit’s team upon their return to the country. Also read | IND vs ENG 2025: No personal vehicles for Indian cricketers as Bengal cricket body CAB enforces BCCI’s policy A sea of cricket fans wearing blue jerseys surrounded Team India’s open-roof bus parade along the Marine Drive culminating with a massive celebration at the Wankhede Stadium. "I remember, we were still in Barbados after winning the World Cup, and we were stuck there due to a storm, but planning was in process as to what we would do once we were back in India. "It was planned that we would go to Delhi, but what after that? No one knew what to do after that, but I wanted that World Cup (trophy) should come here to Wankhede. Each of the recent World Cups we have won in 2007 and 2011 has been celebrated at Wankhede, and bringing the trophy of 2024 was also very important for us," Rohit added. Meanwhile, Rohit will return to action during the three-match ODI series against England starting February 6. (With inputs from agencies)

Upbeat India captain Rohit vows to bring Champions Trophy title home

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci">BCCI</a>) chief selector Ajit Agarkar has said that any decision on Virat Kohli and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>'s future will be taken after the ICC <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/2025-champions-trophy">Champions Trophy 2025</a>. The ICC tournament is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a month away from the Champions Trophy. These guys have been exceptional performers in one-day cricket&hellip; We&rsquo;ll see once the Champions Trophy is done, we&rsquo;ve got a bit more time to sit and assess where everyone is," Agarkar said while announcing India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad on January 18.
&ldquo;Not just one of the players but where we go forward. But at the moment, the focus is on one-day cricket and Champions Trophy,&rdquo; he added.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/india-champions-trophy-team-live-updates-samson-snub-pandya-rohit-gambhir-karun-nair-bcci-liveblog-8635167">Champions Trophy 2025 India Team Live Updates</a>
<h2>Kohli-Rohit Retirement Talks</h2>
Senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are facing heat after a poor show in the recently-concluded tour of Australia where India lost the five-Test series 1-3. Kohli managed just 190 odd runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) with most of his runs coming during the 100 not out he scored in the second innings of the first Test in Perth.
Rohit, on the other hand, was even bigger failure with the bat and eventually decided to sit out the fifth Test in Sydney. India skipper played only three Tests on the tour after missing the first one due to the birth of his second child.
Sharma managed just 31 runs across five innings of three Tests with a highest of 10. Such was the magnitude of Rohit's failure that pacer Jasprit Bumrah's wickets&mdash;32&mdash;were more than the skipper's runs in the series.
Both the senior players have been facing criticism from all quarters, but the board has continued to show faith in them. The BCCI, however, seems to have made up its mind on the new India skipper, especially in ODIs, after naming Shubman Gill the vice-captain for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
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BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has said that any decision on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future will be taken after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Cricket Sports

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Ajit Agarkar has said that any decision on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future will be taken after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The ICC tournament is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9. “It’s a month away from the Champions Trophy. These guys have been exceptional performers in one-day cricket… We’ll see once the Champions Trophy is done, we’ve got a bit more time to sit and assess where everyone is," Agarkar said while announcing India's Champions Trophy 2025 squad on January 18. “Not just one of the players but where we go forward. But at the moment, the focus is on one-day cricket and Champions Trophy,” he added. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025 India Team Live Updates Kohli-Rohit Retirement Talks Senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are facing heat after a poor show in the recently-concluded tour of Australia where India lost the five-Test series 1-3. Kohli managed just 190 odd runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) with most of his runs coming during the 100 not out he scored in the second innings of the first Test in Perth. Rohit, on the other hand, was even bigger failure with the bat and eventually decided to sit out the fifth Test in Sydney. India skipper played only three Tests on the tour after missing the first one due to the birth of his second child. Sharma managed just 31 runs across five innings of three Tests with a highest of 10. Such was the magnitude of Rohit's failure that pacer Jasprit Bumrah's wickets—32—were more than the skipper's runs in the series. Both the senior players have been facing criticism from all quarters, but the board has continued to show faith in them. The BCCI, however, seems to have made up its mind on the new India skipper, especially in ODIs, after naming Shubman Gill the vice-captain for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Champions Trophy 2025: BCCI chief selector shares update on Rohit-Kohli's future

After much deliberation and talks in the lead-up to the squad announcement for the England ODIs and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Saturday (Jan 18) in Mumbai, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar briefed the media and informed everyone of the chosen 15. What stood out was the selection of unfit Jasprit Bumrah, the return of Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill's appointment as the new vice-captain.
Though the decision-makers went defensive in naming the tried-and-tested players for the first showpiece event of the year, the latest reports suggest something else.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/coldplays-chris-martin-gives-shout-out-to-indian-cricketer-jasprit-bumrah-during-mumbai-concert-watch-8634470" rel="dofollow">Coldplay&rsquo;s Chris Martin gives shout-out to Bumrah during Mumbai concert &ndash; Watch</a>
As per a Dainik Jagran report, the delay in the squad announcement by over two hours was because of disagreements over the selection of a few players and the roles of others in the team.
The BCCI selection committee, alongside the team captain and the head coach (Gautam Gambhir), made a few bold calls, with Gill getting promoted as Rohit&rsquo;s deputy the talking point of the squad announcement. What makes this call interesting is how they ignored Pandya - India&rsquo;s vice-captain during the home World Cup just 15 months ago.
Meanwhile, Gambhir is said to have asked for Pandya as Rohit&rsquo;s deputy for the eight-team tournament, one of his two demands the chief selector and captain rejected; instead, they chose a relatively younger Gill to be Rohit&rsquo;s successor for the white-ball captaincy.
Notably, Pandya has led India across two formats in Rohit&rsquo;s absence and also dons the captaincy hat at Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which replaced Rohit with him as the side&rsquo;s new captain ahead of the previous season.&nbsp;
<h2>&lsquo;More drama&rsquo;</h2>
It doesn&rsquo;t end here.
The report also suggests that Gambhir, a staunch supporter of overlooked Kerala gloveman Sanju Samson, also asked for him in the Champions Trophy squad; Rohit and Agarkar, however, showed confidence in returning Rishabh Pant.&nbsp;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/destroyed-by-egos-of-administrators-congress-mp-shashi-tharoor-on-sanju-samsons-absence-from-indias-champions-trophy-squad-8634644" rel="dofollow">'Destroyed by egos...,' Shashi Tharoor blames state administrators for Samson's CT omission</a>
Even though Samson&rsquo;s absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy for personal reasons cast doubts over CT participation, his recent form and ODI average of over 50 were enough for the selectors to consider him, which wasn&rsquo;t the case. His absence sparked a debate on social media, with former cricketers and politicians coming out in his support.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m63ej2bc-l71ksanm-pnprsa3s">
The sorry saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson -- the player wrote to KCA, in advance, regretting his inability to attend a training camp between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments, and was promptly dropped from the squad -- has now resulted in&hellip;
&mdash; Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1880588056010657798?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
Besides, the BCCI not picking Karun Nair, who scored over 750 runs across eight matches in the domestic 50-over tournament, averaging over 350, made everyone question their selection parameters for an India call-up.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m63ejkbf-muqkt00i-c3xbw5bc">
Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don&rsquo;t pick players based on form &amp; performance ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarunNair?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarunNair</a>
&mdash; Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh/status/1880604353301725215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
Agarkar, however, explained what made them not pick Nair in the ODI team, saying,&nbsp;
"Yeah, it was tough. Those are really special performances. Someone who averages 700-plus. We did have a chat," Agarkar said during the presser in Mumbai.
"At the moment, finding a spot in the squad, in this team, is really difficult. Look at the guys who have been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s. Unfortunately, you can't fit everyone in a squad of 15. But those performances certainly make you take notice. If there is a loss of form (for a player) or injuries, there's certainly going to be a conversation around him," the chief selector continued.
<h3>India&rsquo;s CT 2025 squad &ndash;</h3>
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, cricket: Though the decision-makers went defensive in naming the tried-and-tested players for Champions Trophy 2025, the latest reports suggest something else. 

After much deliberation and talks in the lead-up to the squad announcement for the England ODIs and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on Saturday (Jan 18) in Mumbai, the Indian captain Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar briefed the media and informed everyone of the chosen 15. What stood out was the selection of unfit Jasprit Bumrah, the return of Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill's appointment as the new vice-captain. Though the decision-makers went defensive in naming the tried-and-tested players for the first showpiece event of the year, the latest reports suggest something else. Also read | Coldplay’s Chris Martin gives shout-out to Bumrah during Mumbai concert – Watch As per a Dainik Jagran report, the delay in the squad announcement by over two hours was because of disagreements over the selection of a few players and the roles of others in the team. The BCCI selection committee, alongside the team captain and the head coach (Gautam Gambhir), made a few bold calls, with Gill getting promoted as Rohit’s deputy the talking point of the squad announcement. What makes this call interesting is how they ignored Pandya - India’s vice-captain during the home World Cup just 15 months ago. Meanwhile, Gambhir is said to have asked for Pandya as Rohit’s deputy for the eight-team tournament, one of his two demands the chief selector and captain rejected; instead, they chose a relatively younger Gill to be Rohit’s successor for the white-ball captaincy. Notably, Pandya has led India across two formats in Rohit’s absence and also dons the captaincy hat at Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which replaced Rohit with him as the side’s new captain ahead of the previous season. ‘More drama’ It doesn’t end here. The report also suggests that Gambhir, a staunch supporter of overlooked Kerala gloveman Sanju Samson, also asked for him in the Champions Trophy squad; Rohit and Agarkar, however, showed confidence in returning Rishabh Pant. Also read | 'Destroyed by egos...,' Shashi Tharoor blames state administrators for Samson's CT omission Even though Samson’s absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy for personal reasons cast doubts over CT participation, his recent form and ODI average of over 50 were enough for the selectors to consider him, which wasn’t the case. His absence sparked a debate on social media, with former cricketers and politicians coming out in his support. The sorry saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson -- the player wrote to KCA, in advance, regretting his inability to attend a training camp between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments, and was promptly dropped from the squad -- has now resulted in… — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 18, 2025 Besides, the BCCI not picking Karun Nair, who scored over 750 runs across eight matches in the domestic 50-over tournament, averaging over 350, made everyone question their selection parameters for an India call-up. Is there a point playing Domestic cricket when you don’t pick players based on form & performance ? #KarunNair — Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) January 18, 2025 Agarkar, however, explained what made them not pick Nair in the ODI team, saying, "Yeah, it was tough. Those are really special performances. Someone who averages 700-plus. We did have a chat," Agarkar said during the presser in Mumbai. "At the moment, finding a spot in the squad, in this team, is really difficult. Look at the guys who have been picked. All average well in excess of mid-40s. Unfortunately, you can't fit everyone in a squad of 15. But those performances certainly make you take notice. If there is a loss of form (for a player) or injuries, there's certainly going to be a conversation around him," the chief selector continued. India’s CT 2025 squad – Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja (With inputs from agencies)

Coach Gambhir wanted Hardik Pandya as vice-captain but Rohit rejected - Report

Indian skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a> explained why <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mohammed-siraj">Mohammed Siraj</a> failed to make the cut in squad for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> and the ODIs against England announced on Saturday (Jan 18). The captain said that Siraj's effectiveness dips a little bit when not given the new ball.
Siraj, who has 71 ODI wickets to his name in 44 games, was not included in the squad especially with uncertainties around Jasprit Bumrah&rsquo;s availability. In place of Siraj, left-arm pacer <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/arshdeep-singh">Arshdeep Singh</a> has earned a spot after becoming the highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.&nbsp;
&ldquo;That's purely because we thought over it. We are not sure about Bumrah, whether he is going to play or not. So, we thought of wanting someone who can bowl with the new ball and at the backend. So we picked Arshdeep to bowl at the backend. Shami, we all saw what he can do with the new ball," Rohit said during a presser in Mumbai.
"That is where we feel that Siraj&rsquo;s effectiveness comes down a little bit when he is not bowling with the new ball. We discussed it at length about it, as we are only taking three seamers there because we wanted all these all-rounders with us. It's an unfortunate thing that he has to miss out," the skipper added.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/rohit-sharma-vows-to-speak-with-bcci-over-players-partners-travel-restrictions-in-caught-off-guard-on-mic-moment-8633138">'I will have to sit with BCCI secretary...,' Rohit caught off guard during CT squad announcement presser - Watch</a>
In eight ODIs, Arshdeep has picked 20 wickets and brings in the variety via his left-arm angles and variations. For the England ODI series, India have also got seam-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana.
&ldquo;Arshdeep hasn't played a lot of ODIs, but he has been around the white-ball circuit for a long time. I don't think I feel comfortable saying he is not experienced. He has bowled some tough overs, played T20Is and can handle that pressure," Rohit stated.
(With inputs from agencies)

Siraj, who has 71 ODI wickets to his name in 44 games, was not included in the squad especially with uncertainties around Jasprit Bumrah’s availability. Sports. Cricket.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma explained why Mohammed Siraj failed to make the cut in squad for the Champions Trophy and the ODIs against England announced on Saturday (Jan 18). The captain said that Siraj's effectiveness dips a little bit when not given the new ball. Siraj, who has 71 ODI wickets to his name in 44 games, was not included in the squad especially with uncertainties around Jasprit Bumrah’s availability. In place of Siraj, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has earned a spot after becoming the highest wicket-taker in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. “That's purely because we thought over it. We are not sure about Bumrah, whether he is going to play or not. So, we thought of wanting someone who can bowl with the new ball and at the backend. So we picked Arshdeep to bowl at the backend. Shami, we all saw what he can do with the new ball," Rohit said during a presser in Mumbai. "That is where we feel that Siraj’s effectiveness comes down a little bit when he is not bowling with the new ball. We discussed it at length about it, as we are only taking three seamers there because we wanted all these all-rounders with us. It's an unfortunate thing that he has to miss out," the skipper added. Also Read: 'I will have to sit with BCCI secretary...,' Rohit caught off guard during CT squad announcement presser - Watch In eight ODIs, Arshdeep has picked 20 wickets and brings in the variety via his left-arm angles and variations. For the England ODI series, India have also got seam-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana. “Arshdeep hasn't played a lot of ODIs, but he has been around the white-ball circuit for a long time. I don't think I feel comfortable saying he is not experienced. He has bowled some tough overs, played T20Is and can handle that pressure," Rohit stated. (With inputs from agencies)

Siraj’s impact dips when not bowling with the new ball: Rohit

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