DRS Jan 21: Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli return in Ranji Trophy, LSG skipper Pant takes on PBKS & Shami injured?

The formality was successfully nailed down by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who officially named Rishabh Pant as their skipper ahead of IPL 2025. Pant had several interviews, including one where he took a slight dig at the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Meanwhile, we had a massive news come in regarding Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who both will surely play a Ranji Trophy match for their respective states. Apart from this, Team India had another training session ahead of the first T20I against England. However, Mohammed Shami didn’t bowl at all. Is he injured? Well, let us catch all this and much more on our Daily Review System (DRS) for January 20 (Mon).

New LSG captain Rishabh Pant vs PBKS?

Rishabh Pant, the new captain of Lucknow Super Giants, revealed his tense experience during the IPL auction. Pant was worried he might end up with Punjab Kings (PBKS), who had the highest purse of Rs 110.50 crore. However, when Punjab chose Shreyas Iyer for ₹26.75 crore, Pant’s anxiety eased, and he felt he had a chance to join LSG. Meanwhile, LSG owner Sanjiv Goenka shared that he was adamant about buying Pant, irrespective of the amount.

Cheer up Indian fans! Virat Kohli is set to play for Delhi in their last Ranji Trophy league match against Railways on January 30. Kohli had earlier informed the BCCI about a neck injury, ruling him out of the match against Saurashtra on January 23. However, he has confirmed his availability for the Railways match. This development comes after the BCCI made playing domestic cricket mandatory for national team selection and central contracts. Kohli last featured in a Ranji game way back in 2012.

Mohammed Shami injured?

Mohammed Shami, who is making a comeback to international cricket after a year, did not bowl on the second day of India’s practice session ahead of the T20I series against England. No, there is not a new injury scare. This was a precautionary measure to manage his workload. Shami, who underwent knee surgery, instead focused on batting, facing throwdowns for over an hour. The team wants to ensure he’s fit for the ICC Champions Trophy, and this series is a warm-up for him to regain his rhythm.

Rohit Sharma to play under Rahane!

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is set to return to domestic cricket after nearly six years, joining Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy squad. He will play under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy and face Jammu and Kashmir’s pacers on January 23. This move comes after the BCCI emphasized the importance of players participating in domestic cricket. Rohit’s return is massive, especially after his poor performance in the recent Border Gavaskar Trophy. Yashasvi Jaiswal also returns to the squad, with Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur, and Shivam Dube also in the mix.

MS Dhoni is back!

MS Dhoni is gearing up for IPL 2025, and he’s already begun training. The former CSK skipper was spotted batting in the nets, sporting CSK’s iconic yellow pads. Dhoni had previously stated his intention to enjoy the last few years of his cricketing career, and it seems he’s committed to making that happen. He’s been keeping himself fit through a combination of gym work, tennis, and football and is reportedly aiming to stay in shape for nine months to participate in the two-and-a-half-month IPL season. He was retained for just Rs 4 crore as an uncapped player by CSK.

Why did Shreyas Iyer leave KKR?

Shreyas Iyer expressed surprise and disappointment over the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) decision to not retain him after leading the team to their third IPL trophy. Iyer revealed that there was a lack of communication from KKR, with no effort to discuss retention until just a week before the IPL 2025 auction. He assumed KKR didn’t want him and took it as a sign to move on. Iyer was subsequently bought by the Punjab Kings for ₹26.75 crore and will lead them in IPL 2025.