Prior to the start of the second leg of the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy on January 23, Rohit Sharma has rejoined the Mumbai team for training sessions. As they get ready for their sixth-round home game against Jammu and Kashmir, the squad is anticipated to continue practicing throughout the week after doing a two-hour center-wicket session at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Although Rohit’s participation in the next games has not been officially confirmed, his choice to practice with the team suggests that he could be eligible for at least one of the two remaining games. Later this week, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is anticipated to reveal the final roster.

Discussions on Rohit’s future in Test cricket are intensifying at the same time as his comeback to first-class cricket. Even though he was benched for India’s XI in the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney earlier this month, the 37-year-old is still committed to playing the longest format.

Questions have been raised by Rohit’s recent red-ball cricket performances. He only scored 31 runs in five innings during three Test matches on the Australia trip. This came after a weak home stretch in the 2023–24 season, during which he averaged a pitiful 13.30 in 10 innings against New Zealand and Bangladesh. India lost to New Zealand 3-0, their first-ever home defeat in a three-match or longer series, when he was captain.

Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, emphasized the need for older players to play local first-class cricket in order to recover form and stay competitive after the Sydney Test. Gambhir stressed a cautious approach to creating a long-term blueprint for the squad in red-ball cricket, although he refrained from making any remarks on the Test futures of veterans like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Gambhir said, “Look, it’s too early to speak about it. The series ended recently. We still have five months, I believe, to decide where we want to go. However, it is not the appropriate time for me to discuss that. Five months from now, where will we be?

In sports, a lot of things change. Shapes shift. Individuals evolve. shift in attitude. In sports, everything is different. Five months is a long period, as we are all aware. So, let’s see what happens before the [England] series. However, he said that whatever occurs, it would be in the best interests of Indian cricket.

The defending Ranji Trophy winners, Mumbai, are in a strong position to make it to the knockout round. They are now one point behind second-place Jammu & Kashmir in Group A, having won three of their last five games.