Rohit Sharma’s participation in Ranji Trophy clash forces MCA to make special arrangements

by · Inside Sport India

Rohit Sharma last played a Ranji Trophy match in 2015 vs UP, where he scored a ton, but the match ended in a draw.

Team Mumbai is scheduled to Jammu & Kashmir in their next Ranji Trophy fixture on Jan 23, at BKC in Mumbai, and the likes of India regulars Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer are expected to play. That would mean, there would be added interest among fans to watch their favorite stars in action. And realising that, the MCA is looking to arrange for limited seating capacity for the spectators, as per a report in the Times of India.

Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal to Play for Mumbai

“Normally, there are seating arrangements for 100-odd spectators at BKC, but we will have around 500 seats for fans near the ground machinery there. Fans will have to show their I-cards at the entry point. Considering the presence of the India stars, there will also be proper security arrangements at BKC too,” a source in the Mumbai Cricket Association told TOI.

It is important to note that Team India skipper Rohit Sharma will play in the Ranji Trophy after a gap of 10 years, and had last played in the tournament in 2015, vs UP. There he had scored 113 in 140 deliveries, against a bowling attack that had the likes of Praveen Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ankit Rajpoot.

10-year Ranji Trophy Hiatus to End for Rohit

Meanwhile, it won’t be easy for Mumbai to secure a win over J&K, who have been excellent in the season so far. They are currently second in the points table, while Mumbai is at third with 22 points, and three wins. Baroda are the table-toppers with 27 points and four outright wins in 5 matches.

Also, there is no clarity as to what players Team Mumbai will drop to accommodate the likes of Rohit Sharma, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who are returning to the Ranji fold after some time. Also, Ajinkya Rahane will be in-charge of the team, with Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur in the team as well.

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.