Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s eagerly anticipated return to the domestic circuit for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy match against Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) was met with a flurry of excitement at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). On Day 3 of the game, though, a security breach overshadowed the exciting action on the field when a fan gained entry to the dressing room area without going through the required security checks in an effort to meet the cricket star.
The fan moment that went viral
As Rohit took his place for J&K’s second inning close to mid-on, a spectator broke through security to try to get to the Indian captain. The fan and Rohit Sharma were seen interacting for a brief moment. Before security swiftly escorted the person off the field, he was seen in the video putting a hand on the fan’s shoulder and appearing composed. Despite his lack of engagement, Rohit’s gesture appeared to acknowledge the fan’s enthusiasm. His response demonstrated a calm attitude in spite of the unforeseen circumstance.
WATCH:
A fan entered the ground to meet Indian Captain Rohit Sharma. [📸: Nisarg Naik] pic.twitter.com/7ER6gNo6T6
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 25, 2025
While the fan moment became the highlight of the day, the match itself was far from a celebratory return for Rohit. The Mumbai captain managed scores of 3 and 28 in two innings, failing to leave a significant mark with the bat. Despite a star-studded lineup featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shreyas Iyer, Mumbai’s batting unit crumbled under pressure.
The Mumbai top order famously collapsed to 47/7 in the first innings, while Shardul Thakur fought his way to a fighting fifty to salvage some respectability. Even in the second inning, the team didn’t deliver much, relying on the brilliance of Shardul Thakur’s century of 119 runs to set a modest target of 206.
Underdogs J&K scripted a remarkable victory, chasing the target with five wickets to spare. Their previous victory over Mumbai in their home was their second consecutive win, and it had been long since their last time of winning in 2014. J&K is now leading Group A by 29 points, while Mumbai’s hope to reach the knockout stages is now hanging with one thread.