Rohit Sharma trains with Mumbai team ahead of Ranji match

EMBATTLED India captain Rohit Sharma practised with the Mumbai team here on Tuesday (14) as the side geared up for the resumption of Ranji Trophy from January 23, but there was no clarity on whether he would play for the side.

The 37-year-old, who endured a horror run with the bat in the national team's tour of Australia recently, took part in a morning practice session which lasted a couple of hours at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

"As is the process and routine owing to the gaps between tournaments, the management speaks with the players about their availability," a Mumbai Cricket Association official told PTI.

"Rohit will also be approached around the time of selection for the Ranji Trophy game against Jammu and Kashmir from January 23," he added when asked about Rohit's availability for the clash.

Rohit batted with Mumbai stalwart and his India teammate Ajinkya Rahane during the session.

His participation in the match may not be clear yet but it is learnt that Rohit will continue to practice with the team.

The past few weeks have been tumultuous for Rohit.

He managed just 31 runs across three Tests during his time Down Under and was forced to drop himself from the series-deciding fifth and final Test in Sydney due to his poor form.

Rohit handed over the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah in that game, sparking widespread speculations about his future. However, in an interview to the host broadcaster of the series, Rohit asserted that he was not going anywhere.

Despite his future as a red-ball cricketer hanging by a thread, Rohit attended a review meeting on Sunday to assess the team's performance.

He was joined by head coach Gautam Gambhir and BCCI's new secretary Devajit Saikia during the deliberations.

Mumbai will play their match against J&K at the MCA-BKC ground and the game holds significance as far as advancing to the knockouts is concerned. Rohit last played for Mumbai in a Ranji game way back in 2015 against Uttar Pradesh. (PTI)