Rohit Sharma confirms availability for Mumbai's next Ranji Trophy 2024-25 clash vs Jammu & Kashmir

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma has confirmed his availability for the Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai against Jammu & Kashmir, which is set to take place on January 23. It will be the first first-class fixture that the veteran batter plays in nine years.

After struggling in Test cricket for the last few months, the opener will try to rediscover his form in the longest format through the Ranji Trophy fixture. Rohit's struggles in red-ball cricket were laid bare against Australia Down Under as he managed only 31 runs in three Tests at 6.2.

Moreover, the BCCI has reportedly issued some strict guidelines, according to which domestic cricket becomes mandatory to be eligible for selection in the international arena.

In the press conference on Saturday the during Champions Trophy 2025 squad announcement, Rohit claimed, as quoted by News18:

"I will (play)."

The right-handed batter's last domestic match was during the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy edition when he made a ton in the first innings of the clash between Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh.

"Nobody takes it for granted" - Rohit Sharma on the importance of domestic cricket

Rohit Sharma. (Image Credits: Getty)

The Nagpur-born cricketer acknowledged that regular Indian players featuring in domestic cricket have become rare but reasoned that they hardly get a break or rest from playing at the top level. The veteran explained, as quoted by India Today:

"Last six to seven years if you go back and watch our calendar, there hasn't been a time where I'm sitting at home for days and there is cricket going on. You do get that time when you finish IPL and there's nothing happening right after that, but if you see our domestic season, it starts in September and it gets over by February, March, and that is the time India plays a lot of cricket as well.

"We've addressed it now, and nobody, nobody takes it for granted. It is just based on looking at how one has gone through the season, how much rest he needs, based on all of that we decide what is going to happen with certain players. And then obviously now it’s been made mandatory that if there is time, you have to play domestic cricket."

India had qualified for the last two World Test Championship (WTC) finals but failed to do so in this cycle.