Are Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Set to Play the Vijay Hazare Trophy?

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will now be appearing in the Vijay Hazare 2025/26 edition. Playing a few matches in the domestic league, the star duo will have to maintain their form. This decision has been taken by the BCCI to put them in contention for the World Cup 2027.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26 is expected to be a lot bigger than it has ever been lately. According to some reports, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be making their comeback to this tournament. Watching two stars in domestic cricket

The BCCI selectors have taken this decision for RoKo to put them in contention for the 2027 World Cup. The reports that are circulating on the internet also say that both of them will play at least three rounds in the domestic season.

1. Why RoKo in Domestic?

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to return to the domestic format after a long time. Even though they have played the Ranji Trophy this year, it has been several years since they have been available at the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The BCCI has now sent them back into the fundamentals that will aid them in trying to hold form.

It should be noted that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have retired from Test and T20I formats. Leaving them with the ODIs, it has been challenging for the selectors to confirm their spot. Due to this reason, they first introduced the Merit system for both of them. This means that each game will now prove to be important for Rohit and Virat, as their selection will be based on performance.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play the ODI format till the 2027 World Cup. But the selectors will surely have a tough time knowing about their form. Since India has played a few ODIs since the 2023 World Cup, knowing about their form also remains challenging.

Although they have made it to the Indian team and the merit system has also been brought back, it is definitely not enough. To ensure that Rohit and Virat are able to give consistent performances to the team, the BCCI Selectors have decided to make it necessary for them to play in the domestic format. After the series against South Africa, they will have a chance to play at least three rounds before the ODI series against New Zealand.

2. Last Vijay Hazare Trophy Appearance

Virat Kohli had last appeared in the Vijay Hazare Trophy way back in the 2010 edition. By that time, he had already been a captain of Delhi and had become a member of the Indian team. In his final 2010 edition, he got 229 runs in 5 matches, a 45.80 average, and 2 half-centuries.

Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, was continuing to represent himself in the domestic tournaments. His final appearance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was in the 2018 edition. He only played a few of the games with the team late, but made it count. Rohit was also instrumental in the quarter-final match with Bihar when he was not out in the chase.

Virat Kohli will be returning to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after 10 years, making the tournament continue to generate excitement among its fans. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, will also be coming back to the tournament after 7 years. It indicates that Rohit and Virat are prepared for the World Cup 2027.