Rohit Sharma Set to Play Vijay Hazare Trophy Opener After Kohli’s Confirmation

Former India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed his participation in Mumbai's first two matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, the prestigious domestic 50-over tournament commencing on December 24. Sharma will feature in the games against Sikkim on December 24 and Uttarakhand on December 26, both scheduled in Jaipur, providing him valuable match practice ahead of India's international commitments.

Several key Mumbai players, including T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal—who is recovering from gastritis—Ajinkya Rahane, and Shivam Dube, will miss the opening fixtures. The Mumbai selection committee has chosen to field a younger squad initially, with plans to integrate senior players as they become available.

Sharma's decision comes on the heels of Virat Kohli's announcement to play a few games for Delhi in the same tournament. Kohli will represent Delhi under Rishabh Pant's captaincy, marking a rare domestic List A appearance for the batting stalwart after more than a decade.

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Mumbai are grouped in Elite Group C with teams like Punjab, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Goa, and Himachal Pradesh. The group stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy will be played across Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jaipur, and Bengaluru from December 24, 2025, to January 8, 2026, followed by knockouts in Bengaluru.

This return of senior stars to domestic cricket aligns with the BCCI's push for top players to feature in national one-day championships when free from international duties. It also boosts the tournament's competitiveness and offers mentorship to emerging talents in the Mumbai setup.

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