Picture Credit: X

Picture Credit: X

Team India’s Test and ODI skipper Rohit Sharma on Saturday, January 18 confirmed his availability for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy 2024-25 campaign. Speaking during the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 squad announcement, the 37-year-old not only confirmed his availability for the upcoming domestic cricket fixture, but also emphasised the importance to participate in these assignments.

The Mumbai player reiterated that none of the senior players take domestic cricket tournaments “for granted”, but explained how they don’t get much time to feature across these tournaments at frequent intervals.

Rohit Sharma to play Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against J&K

With the sixth round of Ranji Trophy 2024-25 fixtures kickstarting from Thursday, January 23, Rohit Sharma confirmed his participation, putting forward a positive response when asked about the same. The India skipper said, "Last 6-7 years, if you go back and look at our calendar, there hasn't been a time where we were sitting at home for 45 days and there is (domestic) cricket going on. You do get that time when you finish IPL and if there's nothing happening (in domestic cricket) right after that.. ."

"But if you see our domestic season, it starts in October, maybe September, and it gets over by February-March and that is the time India plays a lot of cricket as well. So, guys who are not playing certain formats and have time, and then there is domestic cricket happening, then they will play,” he continued. “But (in) the last 6-7 years, I can at least tell about what has happened with me since I've started playing Test cricket regularly, which is from 2019, you hardly have any time in hand and then, when you play so much international cricket through the year, you need some time off as well as a cricketer just to refresh, get your mind right, just to be ready for the upcoming season," he added.

"We have addressed it now and nobody takes it (domestic red-ball cricket) for granted or anything like that. It is just ben based on looking at how one has gone through the season, how much rest he needs," he said. "Based on all of that, we decide what is going to happen with certain players. Now it's been made mandatory that if there is time, you have to play domestic cricket,” the 37-year-old addressed.

It is to be noted that Rohit Sharma’s last appearance in Ranji Trophy came in November 2015 in a match against Uttar Pradesh. However, ahead of the upcoming round, Rohit Sharma has already resumed training with the Mumbai squad at the Wankhede Stadium.