Vijay Hazare Trophy: Kohli, Rohit, Gill bring star power to domestic one-day C’ship

The Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy begins on Wednesday, promising a star-studded spectacle as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Suryakumar Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma headline the tournament. Their participation underscores the BCCI’s mandate that top Indian cricketers must play at least two domestic matches , reinforcing the importance of the domestic circuit while giving selectors a chance to assess form ahead of upcoming international series.

For Kohli, returning to the tournament after 15 years for Delhi, and Rohit, who will feature in Mumbai’s opening two matches against Sikkim and Uttarakhand in Jaipur on December 24 and 26, the tournament is both a platform and a reminder: domestic form matters even for the biggest stars. Delhi will begin their Elite Group D campaign against Andhra at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), Bengaluru , after security concerns forced relocation from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. They will then face Gujarat. Kohli’s exact match schedule remains undecided, though he is expected to play the first two games.

While performances here won’t directly impact selection for India’s ODI series against New Zealand next month, both Kohli and Rohit are aware of the pressure from emerging talents like Yash Dhull and R Smaran. Recent squad decisions, including Shubman Gill’s omission from the T20 World Cup in favour of Ishan Kishan after a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, highlight that even established players are not immune to scrutiny.

Gill and Pant aiming for strong outings

Shubman Gill will be looking to channel frustration from his T20 World Cup snub into a strong Vijay Hazare showing for Punjab, while Rishabh Pant, a Test regular, seeks to make a case for white-ball selection after last representing India in August 2024. Both will be key figures in ensuring their credentials remain strong ahead of the international fixtures.

Selectors eye emerging bowlers

Another point of interest is the young bowling talent on display, particularly pacers. Since Mohammed Siraj emerged from the Ranji Trophy, few young bowlers have broken into the established Indian pace order. Players like Gurjapneet Singh (Tamil Nadu), Gurnoor Brar (Punjab), Yudhvir Singh (J&K), Anuj Thakral (Haryana), and Sakib Hussain (Bihar) will be closely monitored by selectors for potential national team inclusion.

Matches across the tournament start today at 9 am , with fans eager to witness both the veterans’ skill and the next generation’s rise in India’s premier domestic one-day championship.