Virat Kohli, Rohit in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Image Credits: X
The 33rd edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy kicked off on December 24. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's presence has also made the List-A tournament a centre of attraction. Besides that, several emerging cricketers are using the platform to get noticed for the broader picture, which is, playing for India at the international stage.
Apart from Rohit and Kohli’s presence, this edition of Vijay Hazare Trophy is also going to play a crucial role for Indian cricket. With the Indian team in transition, the selectors will have a close eye on the Vijay Hazare Trophy to spot the talents who could fit into the national team’s mix.
That said, domestic cricket has taken. a hit in terms of quality across the globe. Let's take a look at how India's premier domestic tournament could shape the country's destiny on the international stage.
The Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli dynamics
Although Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's presence has attracted eyeballs, it doesn’t seem to sit well with all stakeholders of Indian cricket corridor. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has faced criticism for their obstinacy to make two stalwarts play domestic cricket.
Just a few weeks back, former India chief selector MSK Prasad also backed Rohit and Kohli while warning the existing team management.
“One should be careful that the issue is not brought up all the time. We never had a word with Dhoni about playing domestic cricket. He played whenever he felt it was necessary. There should be clear communication up front. Or else, stick to the perform-or-perish policy. There should not be any scope for ambiguity,” said MSK Prasad to Times of India.
Although both Indian stalwarts have displayed great form not only in international cricket but also the domestic circuit, pressurising legends to feature in every domestic game might keep an air of uncertainty in the senior Indian team.
With centuries in the opening games for their respective domestic teams, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have set the record straight about their willingness and intention to feature in the 2027 World Cup. Maintaining match fitness, however, will be a key to their future given the volume of cricket they play now.
"Never been a big believer of a lot of preparation..." - Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli himself hinted towards his stance on the same after he won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his match-winning century against South Africa in the first ODI.
“I’ve never been a big believer of a lot of preparation, if that makes sense. All my cricket has been mental. As long as I feel mentally I can play the game, I work physically very hard every day of my life. It’s got nothing to do with cricket anymore,” said Kohli during the post-match presentation.
Stable number three after Virat Kohli’s WC 2027 campaign
Currently, India don’t seem to have a stable option to replace Virat Kohli at number three in the ODIs. Virat Kohli’s current form gives BCCI a cushion but it’s also time for the management to restructure their future plans to have some ready-to-go options for number three.
It comes with two conditions, first if Kohli’s form dips next year or before the upcoming ODI World Cup. Secondly, even if the 37-year-old continues to score runs with the same form then he will be there till the 2027 World Cup considering the fact that he will be 39 by the time the World Cup ends.
Hence, Dhruv Jurel could be a good option to keep an eye on, if he maintains his current List A form in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. He has scored 147 runs in 2 games, with an average of 73.50 including a strike rate of 124.57, hitting two half-centuries.
The Indian team management might keep Jurel in their long-term plans for a number three batter, the position where Virat Kohli has been serving the Indian cricket team for the last 15 years.
Pacers who can cope up with the 50-over conditions
It’s high time for the Indian team management to address the pace-bowling factor in the senior side. The bowling attack seems to be toothless without star pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The management not going ahead with a constant pace attack could be a serious concern for the Men in Blue in the prestigious cricket quadrennial.
Hence, the Indian team management should not only focus on acquiring pacers from domestic cricket but also building a pool of talent to serve the nation across formats The pacers performing in VHT 2025-26 should be noticed, alongside analyzing their ability to cope up with the 50-over conditions.
Uttarakhand’s Devendra Singh Bora and and Baroda’s Raj Limbani are the two pacers who have impressed with their performances in their first 2 matches in the tournament’s current edition. Limbani has scalped eight wickets in two innings, including a five-wicket haul, being the second leading wicket-taker in the tournament.
On the other hand, Bora has claimed seven wickets in two innings, including a four-wicket haul to get himself placed at the third spot in the list of the tournament’s leading wicket-takers. He has also attracted the eyeballs for dismissing the Indian batting stalwart Rohit Sharma on a golden duck in the Mumbai vs Uttarakhand game.
Conclusion: No burning questions but always good to have the answers
India's current talent pool in the ODIs is abundant and it might be the easiest format for the think tank to solve. However, Cricket, as they say, is a game of uncertainties and it is essential that the team management is prepraed to answer the questions, even if they are less in number.
