Additional security for Rohit Sharma's first Ranji Trophy game in a decade

India skipper Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy comeback match for Mumbai will feature additional security and seating arrangements for up to 500 people.

In Short

• Rohit Sharma will play his first Ranji match for Mumbai in a decade
• Seating for 500 spectators with additional security has been arranged
• Mumbai will take on Jammu and Kashmir in Ranji Trophy clash

Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) have made special security and seating arrangements for as many as 500 people for India captain Rohit Sharma's first Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai in a decade. This will be Rohit's first Ranji outing for Mumbai since November 2015, when the Indian captain played against Uttar Pradesh.

Defending champions Mumbai will begin the second leg of the Ranji Trophy at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy in BKC against Jammu and Kashmir, starting on Thursday. Rohit was named in Mumbai's 17-member squad along with fellow Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal after the Indian captain confirmed his participation in domestic cricket.

The MCA is expecting heavy crowd turnout at their BKC facility for Rohit's comeback match. However, seating arrangements can accommodate only up to 500 people at the venue where the Mumbai team has regularly played its league games in the Ranji Trophy. "Additional security has been arranged and we have also increased the sitting capacity of fans up to 500," a MCA official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar was very happy to learn that Rohit was returning to the Ranji Trophy. "Yes, it's a good thing because, look, he didn't get runs in Australia, so he knows he needs to spend time out in the middle. How much net practice you have or however many throwdowns you face, batting in a game, feeling the ball in the middle of the bat, knowing that a mistake will send you back to the pavilion, and then still scoring runs is a big, big difference," Sunil Gavaskar told India Today.

Mumbai are currently ranked third in Elite Group A, trailing table-toppers Baroda and second-placed Jammu and Kashmir. The Ajinkya Rahane-led side need to bring there A game if they want to advance further and defend their Ranji title.