Mumbai vs Jammu and Kashmir, Ranji Trophy Highlights: Ravindra Jadeja claims five-wicket haul; Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant fail to impress

The much-anticipated return of India's cricketing stars to the Ranji Trophy turned out to be underwhelming, with Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill failing to make an impact on Thursday. The trio fell cheaply on the opening day of their respective matches, undone by some impressive bowling performances across various venues. Among the Indian stalwarts, only Ravindra Jadeja stood out, claiming a five-wicket haul for Saurashtra to bundle out Pant's Delhi for 188 on a turning track in Rajkot.

For the rest, it was a forgettable outing as they trudged back to the pavilion after early dismissals.

Rohit, making his return to Ranji cricket for defending champions Mumbai after a decade, was looking to regain form ahead of next month's Champions Trophy. However, his comeback was short-lived as he managed just three runs in Mumbai's first innings against Jammu and Kashmir at the BKC ground. Attempting a pull shot off Umar Nazir, Rohit ended up miscuing it, giving J&K skipper Paras Dogra an easy catch at mid-off.

His opening partner, Yashasvi Jaiswal (4), also departed early, trapped leg-before by Auqib Nabi, who exploited the fresh pitch conditions to extract movement with the new ball.

Shreyas Iyer, another key member of the Champions Trophy squad, couldn't fare much better, scoring 11 before being caught at mid-on off Yudhvir Singh’s bowling.

While the on-field action featuring these stars had raised expectations, the turnout at the BKC ground was modest. Although the Mumbai Cricket Association had arranged temporary seating for around 500 spectators, empty chairs dotted the venue. Even the curious onlookers watching from nearby office buildings lost interest after Rohit’s dismissal.

Mumbai’s innings ended in disarray as the team was skittled out for a mere 120 in 33.2 overs. Notably, the side left out their in-form 17-year-old opener Ayush Mhatre to make room for the returning stars. Mhatre has been in scintillating form this season, scoring two centuries and a half-century, including a 93-ball 148 in Mumbai's recent win against Saurashtra.

This Ranji match is likely to be the only one for Rohit, Jaiswal, and Iyer this season, as they are expected to join the Indian team for the upcoming ODI series against England early next month.

Siddharth Desai achieved a remarkable milestone in first-class cricket on Thursday, claiming nine wickets in an innings against Uttarakhand during a Ranji Trophy match at Gujarat College Cricket Ground A in Ahmedabad. His outstanding performance is now the best bowling display in the history of Gujarat cricket in this format.


The left-arm orthodox spinner's incredible figures of 9-36 eclipsed the previous record of 8-31, set by Rakesh Vinubhai Dhurv against Saurashtra in 2012.

Uttarakhand’s innings ended at just 111 runs from 30 overs, with Vishal B Jayswal taking the final wicket for Gujarat.

Siddharth’s spell began in the fifth over, where he quickly dismissed PS Khanduri, Samarth R, and Yuvraj Choudhary in a span of four deliveries. By the 15th over, he had already secured his five-wicket haul, trapping Kunal Chandela LBW and bowling out Mayank Mishra.

The spinner’s dominance continued as he removed well-set opener Avneesh Sudha for 30 runs, followed by dismissing Aditya Tare, Abhay Negi, and D Dhapola to complete his remarkable nine-wicket haul.

In a related feat, Haryana bowler Anshul Kamboj became one of only six Indians to take all ten wickets in a first-class innings, achieving this rare achievement against Kerala in November last year.

There was a wave of applause and cheers as star player Rohit Sharma made his way to the middle to open the batting alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Mumbai's Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir at the BKC ground on Thursday.


However, Rohit’s stay at the crease was short-lived.

His long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy after nearly a decade came to a sudden and disappointing end. Facing an outside-off delivery from Umar Nazir, Rohit tried to play it on the leg side but ended up with a leading edge. PK Dogra made no mistake, taking a simple catch.

The Jammu and Kashmir players erupted in loud celebrations, fully aware of the significance of dismissing a player of Rohit’s stature. A disappointed Rohit walked back to the pavilion, his comeback innings cut short.

Rohit’s departure came shortly after Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed LBW by J&K pacer Auqib Nabi for just 4 runs.

Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane had won the toss and opted to bat first on Thursday. This marked Rohit’s first Ranji appearance since 2015.

Going through a lean phase in the autumn of his career, India's Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, set to turn out in his first Ranji Trophy match in almost a decade, has received a huge 'thumbs-up" from his old teammate and friend Ajinkya Rahane.

Asserting that Rohit doesn't need to be told what to do and he will get a "big one once he gets in" the Mumbai Ranji captain said that the Indian skipper is a "relaxed character" who won't get hassled due to poor form. All eyes will be on Rohit and his India opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal when the Ranji defending champions take on Jammu and Kashmir here at the BKC Ground from Thursday.

"See, Rohit is Rohit. We all know that. Aapko bhi pata hai Rohit ka character (You also know Rohit's character). I'm really happy to have both of them back in the Mumbai dressing room. I know Rohit. Rohit 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. And Rohit knows his game really well. Once he gets in, I'm sure he will do well. He's always been relaxed, cool guy, on and off the field. He's never changed, which is a very good thing," Rahane told the reporters after Mumbai's training session here on Wednesday.

Having himself gone through a prolonged form slump in his own long career which saw him dropped from India's Test team, Rahane is exactly aware of what Rohit is experiencing at the moment. The veteran batsman said that every player goes through ups and downs, and revealed that Rohit had a few good sessions in the Mumbai nets in the build-up to the match.

"As a player, every player goes through that phase (and) that is part and parcel of any sportsman's career. What is important is (that) he is hungry, he is determined to do well. I am sure, once he gets in, he will get a big one. A player has to be confident and I feel Rohit is really confident. He batted really well yesterday (in) a couple of sessions so it's a part and parcel of a player's career. I am really confident about Rohit," Rahane said.

When he last turned out for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, Rohit cracked 113 while batting at No 4 in a drawn game against Uttar Pradesh. Rahane believes that the 37-year-old's colossal presence in the Mumbai dressing room for this match will inspire the younger players and certainly benefit the team.

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has joined his domestic team, Mumbai, and began practice on Wednesday ahead of their second-round Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu and Kashmir.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) shared a picture of Rohit on their official social media platform, X, with the caption: "The Hitman Show."

Rohit will feature in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai in a match scheduled from January 23 to 26 at the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy, BKC, Mumbai.

The star batter’s last Ranji Trophy appearance for Mumbai was back in November 2015, where he smashed a brilliant 113 off 140 balls against Uttar Pradesh in a game that ended in a draw.