Rohit Sharma departs for 3 runs off 19 deliveries against J&K on return to Ranji Trophy [Watch] 

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma faltered on his highly-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy. The opening batter departed after scoring three runs off 19 deliveries for Mumbai on Day 1 (Thursday, January 23) of the group-stage clash against Jammu and Kashmir.

Rohit Sharma had made himself available for the first-class fixture amid severe doubts regarding his red-ball future, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) latest guidelines concerning domestic cricket, among other aspects. The batter did not play in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 finale in Sydney but had clarified that he does not intend to retire anytime soon.

Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane opted to bat first after winning the toss. Rohit Sharma opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was dismissed for four runs after being trapped LBW in the third over by Auqib Nabi. Rohit struggled to get going against the new ball and tried to free himself by attempting a few lavish cut shots, though he failed to find a connection.

He eventually perished after attempting a hoick off a back-of-the-length delivery by Umar Nazir. The batter got into an ugly shape while making the connection without any prominent footwork, and could only get a leading edge as the ball lobbed to the fielder at mid-off. Have a look at the dismissal right here:

Mumbai were reduced to 12-2 in the sixth over following Rohit Sharma's dismissal. The defending champions are on the lookout to stabilize the innings against the new ball with the pair of Hardik Tamore and Ajinkya Rahane currently occupying the crease.

Rohit Sharma's misery in red-ball cricket continue

Rohit Sharma's dismal run of form goes back to the start of the home season in 2024. A poor string of scores against Bangladesh and New Zealand put immense pressure on the skipper, which compounded in Australia. He finished with only 31 runs in five innings as India lost the series 1-3.

The batter will reportedly miss Mumbai's last Ranji Trophy group fixture against Meghalaya, scheduled to begin from January 30 onwards. He will lead India in the upcoming ODI series against England, and the 2025 Champions Trophy.