Rohit Sharma has reportedly told the Mumbai Cricket Association that he wants to play in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy(SMAT) knockouts despite retiring from T20Is last year.
Rohit Sharma is reportedly preparing to return to domestic cricket, with the batter expected to play the SMAT knockouts from December 12 to 18 in Indore. According to reports from The Times of India, Rohit has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association(MCA) of his desire to join the team once the ODI series against South Africa ends. His decision comes more than a year after stepping away from T20Is, retiring after the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“Rohit has expressed his desire to play for Mumbai in the knockouts of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” a MCA source was quoted as saying.
Rohit’s decision comes at a time when selectors and team management have raised concerns about the limited match time he and Virat Kohli will have before the 2027 ODI World Cup. With both seniors now playing only ODIs, the BCCI wants them to feature more in domestic cricket to stay match-ready. Rohit and Kohli have already agreed to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy later this month.
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Meanwhile, Mumbai have won four of their five Elite Group A SMAT matches and are on track to reach the knockouts. The team features experienced names such as Ajinkya Rahane, Sarfaraz Khan and Ayush Mhatre, while Shardul Thakur leads the side.
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