Star hitters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have allegedly accepted to top selector Ajit Agarkar’s criteria and will play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Before India’s forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand in January. Agarkar stated unequivocally that any centrally contracted player who is fit and available must play domestic cricket in order to be considered for future national selection, including the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Agarkar’s directive came in response to worries that senior players were boycotting domestic cricket. During the selection announcement for the Australia ODI series, he emphasised that involvement in domestic events such as the Vijay Hazare Trophy was mandatory for players with long intervals between international assignments.
As per a Hindustan Times report, both Kohli and Rohit have confirmed their availability for at least three, if not four, Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, scheduled to begin on December 24. Between the final ODI against South Africa on December 6 and the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11, there’s a five-week window that allows good time for them to feature for their respective state teams, Delhi (Kohli) and Mumbai (Rohit).
“Between the last ODI against South Africa on December 6 at Visakhapatnam and the first ODI against New Zealand at Vadodara on January 11, there is a gap of five weeks. “The Vijay Hazare Trophy starts on December 24. There will be six rounds of games for Mumbai (December 24, 26, 29, 31, Jan 3, 6, 8). Rohit will be expected to at least play three rounds before linking up with the squad. Ditto for Virat,” a BCCI source told.
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This will see a rare return to domestic 50-over cricket for both the batters. Kohli last played the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2010, while Rohit’s last appearance came in 2018, when he represented Mumbai in the semifinals. Notably, both batters are set to play in the Australia ODIs in October before joining their state teams for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Meanwhile, Agarkar’s selection panel has faced criticism for replacing Rohit with Shubman Gill as India’s new ODI captain. However, Ravichandran Ashwin has backed the decision and urged the senior duo to prove their commitment through performances in domestic tournaments.
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