Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Rishabh Pant departs early in Delhi's clash against Saurashtra

The highly expected return of India's star cricketers to the domestic Ranji Trophy was a disappointing affair, as several players, including Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill, failed to make an impact. 

Pant, playing his first Ranji Trophy match since December 2017, could only manage a single run after facing 10 deliveries for Delhi against Saurashtra at the Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground C in Rajkot. The southpaw was dismissed off Dharmendrasinh Jadeja's bowling, handing a simple catch to Prerak Mankad.

Pant's outing was widely anticipated due to his long absence from domestic cricket and India’s ongoing struggles with their batting lineup. This game also saw the return of Ravindra Jadeja to the domestic circuit. The Haridwar-born's early dismissal came as a blow to Delhi, who are in a mid-table mix-up with Saurashtra in Group D. Both teams are fighting for a top-two finish to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Indian stars fail miserably on domestic return

Similarly, India's captain, Rohit, who was returning to the Ranji Trophy after nearly a decade, found himself out of sorts during Mumbai's clash against Jammu and Kashmir. Opening the innings, Rohit struggled to deal with J&K pacers Auqib Nabi and Umar Nazir. After scoring just 3 off 19 balls, his attempted pull shot off Nazir's bowling ended in a soft dismissal to mid-off.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma departs cheaply in Ranji Trophy clash against Jammu & Kashmir

Furthermore, Jaiswal, representing Mumbai, managed only 5 runs off 8 balls before being trapped lbw by Nabi. The left-hander misjudged a delivery that nipped back in, leading to his dismissal. Shubman Gill’s return was equally disheartening, as he fell for just 4 runs in Punjab’s encounter against Karnataka at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.