Rohit Sharma at Vijay Hazare Trophy: Up to 3,000 spectators expected, extra security, a star-struck Sikkim team

Two months ago, as Rohit fended off and narrowly escaped a fiery spell from Josh Hazlewood on a bouncy, seaming track in Adelaide to labour to a 97-ball 73, all sorts of speculation was drawn about his future in international cricket.

On a lowkey afternoon at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Tuesday, as he joined dozens of other players in the domestic cricket grind, training on the eve of the opening fixture of India’s premier 50-over tournament, a lot of the confusion seems to have settled.

Mumbai team player Rohit Sharma during a net practice session ahead of thier Vijay Hazare Trophy Match against Sikkim at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

The 38-year-old batting star, now only playing the ODI format, seemingly wishes to have one last shot at a World Cup title, with cricket’s marquee tournament taking place in two years’ time in South Africa-Namibia-Zimbabwe. The question over his form has been answered: three of his four innings since the game in Adelaide have been 50+ scores. That includes a match-winning, unbeaten 121 in the third ODI in Australia in Sydney, and two half-centuries in India’s 2-1 home series win over South Africa.

Determination does not seem to be lacking either. That Rohit has shown up for two league-stage fixtures, the next one is on Friday against Uttarakhand, which are not even going to be televised, says what needs to be said. The BCCI may well have forced his and Virat Kohli’s hands; the new diktat does not allow even the glittering stars any reprieve from fine-tuning their games on the domestic circuit. Even more so if they only play one format and have big gaps in between their international schedules.

The long debates around that diktat may well continue to rage on. Will Rohit’s form improve in any way by facing two teams that don’t have a single player who has ever represented India in their ranks? Does his presence help Mumbai fare better if he just disappears after two games? Is this merely a case of ticking off a box – for the star to prove his motivation and for the board and Indian team management to prove the seriousness of their orders? To the fans who will turn up to catch a glimpse, none of those questions matter.

And unlike in Bengaluru, where Kohli’s mad faithful have been denied a chance to watch him play due to orders from the state government to have the games behind closed doors, preparation for a crowd of around 2,000-3,000 strong fans has been made in Jaipur.

The East stand, with a capacity of around 5,000, has been opened for the public who can watch the match free of cost, as is the norm in domestic games. More seating can be made available if needed. Security has been beefed up too after Yashasvi Jaiswal faced a scare from over-excited fans here during a Ranji Trophy game last month. After many of them descended upon the dressing room for pictures and autographs, Jaiswal had to make a hushed back-door exit. Local authorities are hoping to avoid that kind of lapse this time around.

On Tuesday, a few fans even got the chance to watch Rohit train at the RCA Academy ground, just behind the stadium. His languid hour-long session in the nets, with him seemingly preparing for facing new-ball seamers, playing everything late and under his eyes, was watched by small groups, mostly full of kids, who thronged to him even in the brief windows of opportunity during his entry and exit.

The fanfare has extended to the opposition, too. Leeyong hopes that Sikkim’s playing group will get to have a chat with Rohit after the game. “We want to ask him about his mindset as a player who has played at the highest level for so long, won so many things. We won’t ask him about the pull shot! He’s the best, nobody can play it like him,” Sikkim’s beaming captain says.