Rohit Sharma yet to confirm availability for Vijay Hazare Trophy as MCA awaits communication

Former India ODI captain Rohit Sharma has not yet informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about his participation in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025-26. The senior opener, who has retired from Tests and T20Is alongside Virat Kohli, had earlier been asked by the BCCI to feature in domestic 50-over cricket if they wish to continue representing India in the format.

However, unlike previous reports that said Rohit has confirmed his availability to Mumbai Cricket, a senior MCA official revealed to PTI that the association has received no official word from Rohit. “There has been no communication as far as I am aware,” the official stated.

BCCI’s directive to Rohit & Kohli

The BCCI has reportedly made it clear to both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli that participation in domestic tournaments is mandatory for those still active in limited formats. Both players retired from T20Is after India’s World Cup triumph in 2024 and stepped away from Test cricket earlier this year. The Vijay Hazare Trophy, scheduled from December 25 to January 18 across Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jaipur and Bengaluru, is India’s major 50-over domestic tournament.

Both Rohit and Kohli are not part of India A’s next series that is coincidentally starting today. The Tilak Varma-led side is facing South Africa A for a three-game series. However, both Rohit and Kohli will now be seen in India’s three-match one-day international series against the Proteas, starting from November 30.

While earlier reports claimed Rohit had expressed willingness to play for Mumbai, there has been no confirmation yet. Kohli’s participation for Delhi remains uncertain. The competition’s knockout matches will be held at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

Rohit Sharma’s form and preparation

Rohit comes into the domestic season on the back of a strong showing in the ODI series against Australia, where he scored 73 and 121* in consecutive matches and was named Player of the Series despite India losing 1–2. The 38-year-old currently tops the ICC ODI batting rankings with 781 points, ahead of Pakistan’s Babar Azam and teammate Shubman Gill, who sits fourth.

Rohit has been training regularly at the MCA’s Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai, often alongside young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal before the latter joined India’s Test squad. The Mumbai veteran has not featured in domestic 50-over cricket since 2017, and his return would be a major boost not just for the players but for the tournament as a whole.

We are now witnessing a fresher version of Rohit, who apparently lost 11 kilograms in the lead up to his much-awaited return in the blues of India. Working alongside his best friend and newly named head coach of KKR, Abhishek Nayar, Rohit worked extremely hard on his fitness. There were no doubts on the batting talent he possesses but some extra layers of fat were something Rohit would’ve done without. This led to an extreme workout schedule that saw Rohit skip his favourite meal and have 700-800 repetitions for every body part, and also a bodybuilder phase.

Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli’s potential schedule

Series	Matches	Dates	Availability
India vs South Africa	3	Nov 30 to Dec 6	YES
Vijay Hazare Trophy	7	Dec 24 to Jan 8	MAYBE
India vs New Zealand	3	Jan 11 to Jan 18	YES
IPL 2026	Min. of 14	Mid-March to Early June	OF COURSE