Former Indian cricket cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was not pleased with the performance of Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer during Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir, held at the MCA Ground in Mumbai. India’s captain Rohit Sharma only managed to score 3 runs in the first innings and 28 runs in the second inning of the match. While Iyer also had a disappointing show scoring 11 and 17. “It was evident that both players were not up to the mark, appearing out of form on a pitch with some movement,” Gavaskar said in his Sportstar column. The former captain pointed out that their eagerness to attack the bowling undermined the team’s effort.
Praise for Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian
While criticising the approach of Rohit and Iyer, Gavaskar admired the performances of Shardul Thakur and Tanush Kotian. “These two players showed the importance of balancing caution and aggression in red-ball cricket,” he said. Thakur scored a fifty and 119, while Kotian, who recently received his maiden India call-up, scored a half-century in Mumbai’s otherwise disappointing match. Gavaskar urged current batters to develop techniques suitable for trickier pitches where the ball is unpredictable.
More on Cricket
- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Live Streaming Details Round 6: Which matches will BCCI broadcast on December 6?
- BGMI 4.2 Update Leaks Reveal Prime Wood Genesis Mode and New Features
- Top 10 Most Searched Games of 2025, Check List
Ranji for BCCI contract
Another point Gavaskar touched upon was whether Rohit and Iyer participated in the Ranji Trophy solely due to the BCCI’s mandate. “Did they really want to play or were they just ensuring their BCCI contracts weren’t affected?” he questioned, recalling past instances when players like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer missed out and faced consequences. Gavaskar also hoped that young players like Ayush Mhatre learn from the experience of sharing the field with top players, despite losing their spots. “Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s participation meant that Ayush Mhatre, who had got a couple of hundreds and some fifties, had to be left out of the Mumbai side. Hopefully, the youngster would have spent some time with both these players and picked their brains about adding to his batting ability,” he added.
Suspense on Kohli & Rahul
He expressed anticipation for KL Rahul and Virat Kohli’s participation in the upcoming rounds, noting how their presence would contribute to the team’s potential and allow for learning opportunities. “It will be interesting to see if Rahul, Siraj, and Kohli, who didn’t play last week, will be ready for the new round,” he speculated.
Editor's Pick
Cricket
Will Gambhir try Rishabh Pant or Nitish Reddy in IND vs SA 3rd ODI with series on the line?
Top Stories
