Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli Asked to Play Vijay Hazare Trophy

India, Nov 12, 2025: Former Indian captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been clearly told by the BCCI that if they want to continue playing international cricket for India, they must play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is a domestic ODI tournament.

After the T20 World Cup 2024, both Rohit and Virat retired from T20 Internationals. In 2025, they also announced their retirement from Test cricket. Now, they are active only in the ODI format.

The two last played an ODI series against Australia in October 2025, where India lost 1-2. Rohit scored a half-century and an unbeaten century in the series, while Virat scored more than 50 runs in the third ODI.

BCCI’s Clear Message to Rohit and Virat

Questions are being raised about the ODI careers of both senior players. Only time will tell if they will play in the 2027 ODI World Cup.

According to BCCI sources, the board and team management have told both players that after retiring from two formats, they must maintain fitness and match practice by playing domestic cricket.

Rohit Ready, Kohli Yet to Decide

As per a PTI report, Rohit Sharma has confirmed his availability to the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, there is still no clarity on Virat Kohli’s participation.

Kohli last played for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on February 18, 2010. At that time, he was the captain, with Shikhar Dhawan and current BCCI President Mithun Manhas also in the team.

The board and team management want both players to stay in form and maintain match fitness through domestic cricket. The Vijay Hazare Trophy match on December 24th is seen as the first step in this direction. It is the only ODI match in the domestic calendar between the South Africa series (December 3–9) and the New Zealand series, starting on January 11th.

Rohit Keen on More Domestic Action

Rohit has also shown interest in playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT), which begins on November 26th. He is currently training at the Sharad Pawar Indoor Academy in Mumbai. Kohli, meanwhile, is staying in London, and the board hopes he will soon return to play in the domestic circuit.

Both players played one Ranji Trophy match each last season. In January, Kohli played for Delhi after 12 years, while Rohit played for Mumbai after 10 years.