Thu Jan 23 07:50:00 UTC 2025: ## Indian Batsmen Struggle in Ranji Trophy Despite BCCI Mandate
**Mumbai, India** – Following disappointing performances by Indian batsmen in the recent Test series against New Zealand and Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) mandated participation in domestic cricket. However, the second round of the Ranji Trophy, which began on January 23rd, saw senior players continue to underperform.
Rohit Sharma, playing his first Ranji match since 2015, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, both failed to make an impact for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir. Jaiswal was out LBW for 4 runs off 8 balls, while Sharma managed only 3 runs from 19 deliveries.
Similarly, Shubman Gill, captaining Punjab against Karnataka, scored just 4 runs (including a boundary) off 8 balls. Rishabh Pant also struggled, dismissed for 1 run off 10 balls playing for Saurashtra.
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are currently sidelined due to neck and elbow injuries respectively, but are expected to be available for the next Ranji Trophy matches starting January 30th. This will be their last chance to regain form before the ODI series against England begins on February 6th, followed by the Champions Trophy on February 19th. The BCCI’s attempt to bolster the team’s performance through mandatory domestic play appears, at least initially, to have yielded limited success.
First Piper 