Vijay Hazare Trophy: Suryavanshi hits 36-ball hundred; Virat, Rohit back in domestic action

Teams:

Andhra Playing XI: Srikar Bharat (w), Ashwin Hebbar, Shaik Rasheed, Ricky Bhui, Nitish Kumar Reddy (c), Saurabh Kumar, Maramreddy Hemanth Reddy, K S Narasimha Raju, Tripurana Vijay, Satyanarayana Raju, SDNV Prasad

Delhi Playing XI: Arpit Rana, Priyansh Arya, Virat Kohli, Nitish Rana, Rishabh Pant (w/c), Ayush Badoni, Simarjeet Singh, Harsh Tyagi, Ishant Sharma, Prince Yadav, Navdeep Saini

Teams:

Mumbai Playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sarfaraz Khan, Siddhesh Lad, Musheer Khan, Hardik Tamore (w), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Shardul Thakur (c), Tushar Deshpande, Sylvester DSouza

Sikkim Playing XI: Lee Yong Lepcha (c), Ashish Thapa (w), Amit Rajera, Robin Limboo, Gurinder Singh, Kranthi Kumar, Palzor Tamang, Ankur Malik, K Sai Satwik, Md Saptulla, Abhishek Kr Shah

Another layer of intrigue lies in the bowling department, particularly among fast bowlers.

Since Mohammed Siraj emerged from the Ranji Trophy circuit, India has struggled to unearth a young pacer capable of consistently breaking into the established order.

The supporting cast — Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and Akash Deep — has shown promise but not sustained dominance.

This season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy offers selectors a fresh evaluation window. Pacers like Gurjapneet Singh of Tamil Nadu, Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar, Yudhvir Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana’s Anuj Thakral and Bihar’s Sakib Hussain are firmly on the radar.

In a tournament suddenly elevated by star batters, it may well be the bowlers, operating away from the glare, who quietly shape India’s next white-ball transition.

Beyond the Ro-Ko narrative, the tournament offers critical subplots for others navigating their own crossroads.

Rishabh Pant, a Test certainty, is eager to push himself back into white-ball contention after being absent from ODIs and T20Is since August 2024.

Leading Delhi, Pant has an opportunity to reassert his value beyond red-ball cricket, especially with his explosiveness tailor-made for the one-day format.

Gill’s motivation is different but equally sharp. Overlooked for the upcoming T20 World Cup, the Punjab batter will use the Vijay Hazare Trophy to channel frustration into runs. For Gill, this domestic stint also doubles as a preparatory phase ahead of next month’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand, where he is set to lead India.

Strong performances here won’t rewrite selection logic overnight, but they will strengthen narratives around form, rhythm and leadership at a time when scrutiny is relentless.

The undercurrent surrounding Kohli and Rohit is not about immediate omission, but about erosion. Younger batters are no longer politely waiting; they are forcing conversations. Names like Yash Dhull and R Smaran represent a pipeline that refuses to slow down.

The recent omission of Gill from India’s T20 World Cup squad, followed by Ishan Kishan’s recall after a prolific Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has sharpened that message. If Gill — arguably Indian cricket’s most valuable long-term asset — can be overlooked due to combinations and form, immunity is a myth.

For Kohli and Rohit, the Vijay Hazare Trophy becomes less about selection mathematics and more about self-definition. It is a fight to rediscover inner fire in modest surroundings, against bowlers who have little to lose and selectors who are increasingly unromantic about legacy. Watching that gradual negotiation with time and relevance is, in itself, compelling.

For Rohit Sharma, clarity has come early. The Mumbai batter has confirmed he will feature in the first two matches against Sikkim and Uttarakhand in Jaipur on December 24 and 26. Kohli’s plan is more fluid. Having trained extensively with former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Mumbai, he is yet to lock in the exact matches he will play for Delhi.

Delhi open their Elite Group D campaign against Andhra in Bengaluru at the BCCI Centre of Excellence after security concerns shut the door on the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, before facing Gujarat.

Kohli’s arrival in Bengaluru on Tuesday night has already fuelled assumptions of an early appearance. While both players still have the authority to choose their games, what they no longer control is destiny.

A poor domestic outing may not directly affect selection for next month’s ODIs against New Zealand, but the awareness is unmistakable: the space around them is shrinking, and domestic runs elsewhere are stacking up fast.

Hello and welcome to the live coverage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches.

The charismatic presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has lent the Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy an aura rarely associated with India’s domestic 50-over competition.

Beginning on Wednesday, the tournament suddenly feels heavier, louder and more consequential, with several of India’s biggest names descending into a grind that is usually defined by anonymity rather than applause.

Alongside Kohli and Rohit, the lineup features Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek Sharma, forming a velvety tapestry of elite talent.

Yet, despite that depth, the spotlight inevitably narrows to the Ro-Ko axis. Their return is not incidental; it is directly tied to the BCCI’s decision to mandate at least two Vijay Hazare matches for centrally contracted players.

More than compliance, though, this is symbolism. Kohli, playing the tournament after 15 years, and Rohit, still one of the game’s biggest draws, are reminders that reputation alone no longer guarantees insulation from Indian cricket’s shifting power equations.