Rohit Sharma's bolts opened; other Indian batsmen cursed after Ranji Trophy shambles

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on the recent struggles of Indian Test players for their respective teams in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25.

Aakash Chopra said that Mumbai struggled against Jammu and Kashmir, despite having players like Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ajinkya Rahane.

Several Indian cricketers, including Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant, featured for their state teams in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, which began on January 23.

This came after a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following India’s 1-3 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

Mumbai Has Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane - Aakash Chopra

Rohit, making his first appearance in domestic cricket in a decade, also continued to struggle with the bat. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that even players like Shubman Gill, Pant, and Rajat Patidar failed to make an impact, adding that it has become a new talking point.

"The match was happening very close to my home. You might be thinking what am I talking about. I am talking about the Mumbai vs J&K match, and at the time of recording, Mumbai are struggling and how. The team has Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube and Shardul Thakur," he said.

"They are a powerhouse, and J&K have jolted them in both innings. Everyone went to play in the Ranji Trophy, it's only about Mumbai, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Rajat Patidar were playing, it was a long list, but whoever played, got out. It's incredible. Runs aren't being scored in the Ranji Trophy. It's become a new story," Chopra added.

How Did Team India’s Star Players Fare in the Second Leg of Ranji Trophy 2024-25?

Rohit Sharma (3 and 28) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (4 and 26) failed with the bat in both innings of the match against Jammu and Kashmir. Rishabh Pant managed to score only 18 runs across two innings for Delhi, while Shubman Gill was dismissed for just 4 runs in Punjab's first innings against Karnataka.

On the other hand, Ravindra Jadeja was outstanding for Saurashtra, taking 12 wickets for 104 runs. He earned the Player of the Match award. Saurashtra comfortably chased down a small target of 12 runs in just 3.1 overs, with openers Harvik Desai and Arpit Vasavada securing a dominant 10-wicket win.

It Won't Make a Difference to Your Career or Test Form - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra highlighted that Indian players' including Rohit Sharma's performances in the Ranji Trophy wouldn't have a significant impact on their Test form, as the next Test match is months away.

"The truth is that whether you score runs or not, it won't make a difference to your career or Test form. The second part was probably more important than the first, that your Test form has nothing to do with it, as the next Test match is after five months," he reasoned.

"However, you need to score runs and take wickets. That's what Ravindra Jadeja has done. He has done an incredible job. He scored runs and picked up wickets, but the others haven't. I saw Rohit's visuals from both the first and second innings. Didn't look very good. Yashasvi Jaiswal also got out in both innings," Chopra elaborated.

India's next red-ball challenge is a five-match Test series against England, which is scheduled to commence on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds. The series will next move to Birmingham, Lord's, Manchester, and the Kennington Oval in London. If Rohit Sharma's form doesn't improve, his England trip might fall apart.

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