Kohli Blazes, Rohit Stuns as Vijay Hazare Trophy Action Unfolds

The second round of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26 commenced on December 26, 2025, with cricket fans across India fixated on the performances of star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in their respective group-stage encounters. Delhi, led by Rishabh Pant and featuring Kohli, faced a formidable Gujarat side boasting bowlers like Ravi Bishnoi and Harshal Patel at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma's Mumbai took on Uttarakhand at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Both teams were asked to bat first after losing the toss, setting the stage for early fireworks from the Indian stalwarts, who had smashed centuries in their opening matches—Kohli with 131 against Andhra Pradesh and Rohit with a blistering 155 against Sikkim—on December 24.

Virat Kohli provided an explosive start for Delhi, displaying his trademark aggression and class right from the outset in the powerplay, as he arrived at the crease early following an opening wicket. His intent to dominate suggested a continuation of the dominant form that saw him surpass Sachin Tendulkar's record for the fastest to 16,000 List A runs in the previous game.

In contrast, Rohit Sharma suffered a shocking setback, departing for a first-ball duck (golden duck) against Uttarakhand, leaving Mumbai's chase or innings-building in uncertain territory early on. This rare failure for the Hitman added drama to the Mumbai-Uttarakhand contest, with the team relying on other top-order batsmen like Angkrish Raghuvanshi to stabilize proceedings. Attention also shifted to young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old sensation who had smashed a record-breaking 36-ball century (and gone on to score 190 off 84 balls) in Bihar's historic 574-run total against Arunachal Pradesh in the opener; he was expected to feature prominently for Bihar against Manipur in Ranchi in the Plate Group.

Other intriguing fixtures included Baroda vs Bengal and Madhya Pradesh vs Tamil Nadu, promising competitive cricket amid the tournament's high-scoring trend from the first round, which featured 22 centuries and multiple records. Shubman Gill's potential involvement for Punjab against Chhattisgarh also drew interest ahead of India's upcoming ODI commitments.

With no live telecast for most matches (limited streaming on select platforms), fans followed live updates via official scorecards on sites like ESPNcricinfo. The day underscored the Vijay Hazare Trophy's role as a key preparation ground for international stars, blending veteran brilliance, youthful exuberance, and occasional surprises in India's premier domestic 50-over competition.

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