After India’s emphatic 2–1 victory in the ODI series and a 3–1 triumph in the T20 series against South Africa, Indian cricketers—including Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma—now face a fresh challenge: proving themselves in the prestigious domestic one-day tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued instructions mandating that all players must participate in at least two matches of the tournament.
Spotlight on the Big Names
The tournament begins on December 24 (Wednesday), with all players representing their respective state teams.
However, the spotlight will firmly remain on veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Rohit will be featuring in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after a gap of seven years, while Kohli will return to the tournament after an absence of 15 years.
Both have begun preparations and are actively involved in practice sessions.
Apart from them, nearly all major names will take the field to reaffirm their credentials.
These include Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shivam Dube, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and several others.
Rohit Focused on World Cup Preparations
Former India captain Rohit Sharma is already gearing up for the 2027 ODI World Cup. He was in prolific form with the bat against Australia and South Africa and has now been named in Mumbai’s squad.
However, Rohit will feature in only two matches, as he must also prepare for the ODI series against New Zealand scheduled for January 2026.
He will play against Sikkim on December 24 and against Uttarakhand on December 26.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube will be available for the last two matches of the Mumbai leg. Shardul Thakur has been entrusted with the team’s captaincy.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is also expected to be available for a few matches, as he is recovering from gastritis.
Kohli Ready to Shine for Delhi
Virat Kohli’s bat is primed to dominate for Delhi, although the team will be captained by Rishabh Pant. Alongside Kohli, the squad includes Nitish Rana, Ishant Sharma, and Navdeep Saini.
Young IPL standouts Ayush Badoni and Priyansh Arya will also feature for Delhi. Kohli will be available for the first two matches.
Delhi will play their opening match against Andhra Pradesh on December 24 and their second against Gujarat on December 26.
Fans are eagerly anticipating Kohli’s return, as he last played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy during the 2009–10 season, when he scored 229 runs in five innings.
Sanju Samson Named in Kerala Squad
Sanju Samson has been included in Kerala’s squad, with Rohan Kunnummal leading a 19-member team.
The lineup also features Vishnu Vinod, Mohammed Azharuddeen, Salman Nizar, and Nidheesh MD, along with young spinner Vignesh Puthur, who was picked by the Rajasthan Royals.
Placed in Group E, Kerala will play all its matches in Ahmedabad. Their fixtures include games against Tripura first, followed by Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.
Ruturaj to Lead Maharashtra
Ruturaj Gaikwad will captain Maharashtra for the first three matches. The team also includes Prithvi Shaw and Jalaj Saxena, who joined the state side before the start of the season.
Maharashtra has been placed in Elite Group C and will open its campaign against Punjab on December 24 in Jaipur.
Other teams in the group include Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Mumbai, Chhattisgarh, and Goa.
Gill, Abhishek, and Arshdeep inthe Punjab Squad
Chandigarh: Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, world No. 1 T20 batter Abhishek Sharma, and fast bowler Arshdeep Singh have been named in Punjab’s squad, in line with BCCI directives.
Gill was not included in India’s T20 World Cup squad, while Abhishek and Arshdeep are regulars in India’s T20 setup.
If Arshdeep is selected for the ODI series against New Zealand beginning January 11, both he and Gill will be available for only the first two or three matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Abhishek Sharma, however, is expected to represent Punjab in more matches. Punjab has not announced its captain yet.
Punjab, along with Mumbai, is considered a strong contender in Group C. The team will face Maharashtra on December 24 and Chhattisgarh on December 26 in their opening fixtures.
The much-anticipated clash between Mumbai and Punjab will take place on January 8. Punjab, which was knocked out in the quarterfinals last season, will play all seven of its league matches in Jaipur.
In the 2024–25 season, Arshdeep was the team’s highest wicket-taker.
Batting Highlights
- 13 matches, 819 runs, four centuries and three half-centuries
- 18 matches, 581 runs, one century, and three half-centuries
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