The 31-year-old right-arm medium pacer Umar Nazir Mir was a star for Jammu and Kashmir as the visitors bundled out international-stars-powered Mumbai for only 120 runs. While Nazir took some big wickets in the Ranji Trophy match, one of his memorable wickets was the Indian captain Rohit Sharma. While Nazir didn’t celebrate that wicket, he revealed the reason for that cold and respectful gesture.

In the return of the next round of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, the defending champions Mumbai are hosting Jammu and Kashmir in the Elite Group A match. Mumbai have the international names Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, captain Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, and Shardul Thakur. 

After the powerful batting side Mumbai chose to bat first, the hosts were down to 47/7 and all out for only 120 runs. Indian Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, who returned to the Ranji Trophy almost ten years later, only managed to score three off 19 balls while Umar Nazir Mir dismissed him. Rohit was caught out as Paras Dogra ran from mid-off to extra cover to successfully grab the ball.

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I did not celebrate because I am a big fan of Rohit Sharma: Umar Nazir Mir

However, Nazir didn’t celebrate that big wicket. Later, Nazir claimed that he was a big fan of the Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

Nazir said, "I slept off at 10pm last night and woke up around 7am and was quite relaxed. I tried to bowl fuller lengths because of the bounce on the surface. [When Rohit was dismissed] the first thought in my mind… I did not celebrate because I am a big fan of Rohit Sharma. If we manage to win this game, it would be a proud moment for me, and the team, because India's captain is playing in the opposition."

Umar Nazir Mir took four wickets

Rohit was just the start of Nazir’s powerful bowling performance, as he bowled the skipper Rahane (12) and then dismissed Hardik Tomare (7) and Shivam Dube (0). Nazir finished with the bowling figures of 11-2-41-4. Meanwhile, the right-arm pacer Yudhvir Singh also took four wickets and had bowling figures of 8.2-31-4.

Struggling at 47/7, Shardul Thakur scored a half-century (51), and Tanush Kotian (26) was the other Mumbai batter to score 20+ runs in that innings. Kotian-Thakur had a 63-run partnership for the eighth wicket, which helped the hosts to reach the three-figure total.