Rohit claimed the second five-wicket haul of his First-Class career, while Sunil picked up four wickets to bowl Madhya Pradesh out for 196 on the opening day of its Ranji Trophy Group A fixture on Sunday. Auqib Nabi had an off day, but Jammu and Kashmir found its heroes in Rohit Sharma and Sunil Kumar.
Sharing his name with India’s erstwhile captain, the tall pacer showed little sign of rust, keeping an inexperienced MP batting line-up on its toes at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium. For Rohit (five for 36) it was a satisfying return to First-Class cricket after two years. J&K’s Sunil Kumar bowls on the first day of the Ranji Trophy fixture against Madhya Pradesh at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar on Sunday., October 11, 2026. | Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR With three debutants in its ranks, MP needed its senior batters to step up. Captain Shubham Sharma (79, 174b, 8×4) took responsibility, adding 65 runs for the fourth wicket with debutant Chanchal Rathore before stitching together a 51-run stand for the seventh wicket with Aryan Pandey.
Shubham brought up a gritty half-century, showing patience as he tried to steady the innings. Sunil had a chance to claim a five-wicket haul of his own but put down a sharp return catch offered by the MP captain. He made amends by dismissing Pandey in the final session and removing Avesh Khan off the next delivery. Madhya Pradesh fast bowler Avesh Khan celebrates the dismissal of J&K’s Shubham Khajuria during their Ranji Trophy match at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, Sunday, Oct.
11, 2026. | Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR
