Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal named in Mumbai squad for Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir

India’s Test captain Rohit Sharma and rising star Yashasvi Jaiswal have been included in Mumbai’s 17-player squad for their upcoming Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu & Kashmir. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) announced the squad in a statement released by the senior selection committee.

The match, scheduled from January 23 to 26, will be played at the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, BKC, Mumbai. Ajinkya Rahane will continue as Mumbai’s captain, while opener Angkrish Raghuvanshi has made way for Rohit, who is expected to open the batting alongside Jaiswal.

Rohit’s inclusion is particularly noteworthy as this marks his return to the Ranji Trophy after a long hiatus; his last appearance for Mumbai was in November 2015, where he scored a blistering 113 off 140 balls against Uttar Pradesh in a drawn match.

Rohit’s recent Test performances have raised concerns about his consistency. During India’s tour of Australia, the veteran opener managed only 31 runs across five innings in three Tests. The 2024-25 Test season was particularly tough for Rohit, where he scored just 164 runs in eight matches at an average of 10.93, with a solitary half-century against Bangladesh.

As captain, Rohit faced significant challenges, including India’s first home Test series loss in 12 years against New Zealand (0-3) and mixed results during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the 2024 calendar year, he lost six Tests, four of which were at home, leading to a captaincy record of 12 wins, nine losses, and three draws.

In contrast, Yashasvi Jaiswal has been in sensational form across formats. The young left-hander scored 293 runs in eight T20Is in 2024 at an impressive average of 41.85, including two half-centuries. Jaiswal also emerged as India’s top scorer in international cricket last year, accumulating 1,771 runs in 23 matches at an average of 52.08, with three centuries and 11 fifties.

Jaiswal last played in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai in January 2023 before making his Test debut against the West Indies later that year.

Shreyas Iyer, another notable Mumbai player, has been in outstanding form, scoring 452 runs in four matches at an average of 90.40, including two centuries and a top score of 233. He has also been named in India’s Champions Trophy squad, adding further depth to the Mumbai lineup.

Mumbai Squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), 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.