India Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma‘s return to domestic cricket and the Ranji Trophy was not only a chance for several fans to watch him, but also a golden opportunity for some of Mumbai’s first-class cricketers to rub shoulders with him. While Rohit did not have the best game with the bat, his presence was cherished by many teammates. One such player was Mumbai seamer Mohit Avasthi, who took to social media to celebrate the fact that he had shared the dressing room with Rohit.
“From the moment Cricket started for me till today – the one whom I have always admired and learnt a lot from – Rohit Sharma,” captioned Mohit, in a post on Instagram.
“It’s one of the highs in my career so far to share the dressing room with you. Looking forward to more such moments. All time favourites Ro45,” Avasthi added.
Rohit, who returned to play Ranji Trophy after nearly a decade, fared poorly with the bat, scoring 3 and 28 in his two innings, as Mumbai slumped to a five-wicket defeat against Jammu and Kashmir.
32-year-old Avasthi was arguably the pick of the Mumbai bowlers, picking up six wickets in the game including a five-wicket haul in the first innings.
Rohit headlined a number of senior India stars who returned to play Ranji Trophy cricket following the BCCI’s 10-point guideline, which made participation in domestic cricket mandatory if available. Mumbai lost despite a star-studded squad boasting the likes of Rohit, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur.
However, Rohit and Jaiswal are unlikely to play Mumbai’s next game, against Meghalaya from January 30. Virat Kohli will return to the Ranji Trophy circuit after a 12-year gap, and is expected to play in Delhi’s game against Railways.
Rohit will lead Team India in the ODI series against England starting February 6, and then at the Champions Trophy 2025 from February 19.
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