Rohit Sharma bats in nets outside Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match to prepare for IND vs ENG 2025 ODIs [In Picture]

India captain Rohit Sharma was seen hitting the nets at the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) BKC ground on Thursday, January 30. While Mumbai are playing their last Ranji Trophy 2024-25 group stage match against Meghlaya, Rohit was seen batting in the nets outside of their match.

Rohit Sharma, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer, are not a part of the playing XI for the match against Meghalaya. The right-hander, who featured in their previous clash against Jammu & Kashmir, failed to make an impact with the bat, returning with scores of 3 and 28.

While he is not a part of the on-going game against Meghalaya, Rohit is using the time judiciously by batting in the nets to prepare for India's upcoming ODI series against England.

India are set to host England for a three-match ODI series after the conclusion of the on-going T20I series. The first ODI will be played on Thursday, February 6, in Nagpur. The next two games will be played on February 9 and February 12 in Cuttack and Ahmedabad respectively.

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Captain Rohit Sharma will be keen to perform in the England ODIs ahead of 2025 Champions Trophy

The three-match ODI series against England will also serve as a preparatory ground for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. After completing the ODI series, India will head to Dubai for the mega event.

With Rohit Sharma being in poor form during the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series, the spotlight will be on him during the England ODI series. The Indian skipper will be keen to perform well and gain some rhythm during these three games.

Keeping the 2025 Champions Trophy in mind, it will be important for India's captain to return to top form if they are to go all the way and lift the trophy. As the Men in Blue missed out on winning the 2023 ODI World Cup after coming extremely close, Rohit will be eager to go one step further in the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy.