Rohit Sharma takes five wickets on Ranji return for Jammu and Kashmir
Rohit Sharma took five for 36 on his first Ranji Trophy outing for Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two years.
Rohit Sharma took five for 36 on his first Ranji Trophy outing for Jammu and Kashmir in nearly two years. The 32-year-old finished with 21.2 overs as Madhya Pradesh were bowled out for 196 on the opening day in Srinagar. Sunil Kumar claimed four for 69; Auqib Nabi took the other wicket.
Shubham Sharma made 79 off 174 for Madhya Pradesh, the only fifty of the innings. Aryan Pandey scored 35. Jammu and Kashmir lost Shubham Khajuria for a duck in their reply and closed on three for one.
Rohit has played 22 first-class matches and previously taken 39 wickets at 34.66. Multiple heel surgeries kept him out; the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association kept him around the squad during rehab.
CricHubb Take
Rohit's return shows the value of keeping injured players inside the squad rather than cutting them loose. The association's decision to maintain contact during rehab produced a five-wicket haul that a standard release-and-re-sign approach would likely have missed.