The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly informed Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli against participating in domestic cricket for selection in the national team. According to PTI, both the senior players are expected to feature in at least three to four matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in January next year.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are currently playing only One Day Internationals (ODIs) after withdrawing from other formats. The experienced duo announced their T20I retirement in June 2024 and later retired from Test cricket in May 2025.
He was last seen in action in October 2025 during the three-match ODI series against Australia, where the Shubman Gill-led side lost 1-2. Rohit scored a half-century in the second match and an unbeaten century in the third, while Kohli registered a half-century in the final game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
BCCI has requested Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play three to four matches in Vijay Hazare Trophy.
According to PTI, BCCI has requested Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to take part in at least three to four matches of Vijay Hazare Trophy before the ODI series against New Zealand in January.
The board directed the senior pair to remain match-ready, especially if they are planning to participate in the 2027 ODI World Cup to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November.
With India’s South Africa and New Zealand series scheduled to consist of six rounds of home one-day matches, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee made it clear that all centrally contracted players will have to play domestic cricket when fit.
As reported on October 9 @PTI_News Both the legends are expected to play at least 3 rounds of national ODI#crickettwitter pic.twitter.com/0VSdbUnVsf
– Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) 12 November 2025
Rohit and Virat are among the all-time top scorers in the ODI World Cup. Kohli is second with 1,795 runs, while Rohit is fourth with 1,575 runs. The pair finished as the top two run-scorers and India finished as runners-up in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to play in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy to maintain match fitness. According to The Indian Express, the BCCI informed both players that it is mandatory for them to participate in domestic cricket if they wish to continue representing India in ODIs.
“The board and the team management have told both of them that if they want to play for India, they will have to play domestic cricket. Since both of them have retired from two formats, they will have to play domestic cricket to be match-fit,” the Indian Express quoted a BCCI official as saying.
Rohit Sharma confirms availability; Virat Kohli’s participation still uncertain
The report states that Rohit Sharma confirmed his participation in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy and informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about his availability. He also expressed interest in playing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament starting on November 26.
The experienced opening batsman has been training at the Sharad Pawar Indoor Academy in Mumbai to stay in peak form. On the contrary, there is still uncertainty regarding Virat Kohli’s participation in the domestic ODI competition.
The former India captain last played for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in February 2010 against Services. The BCCI is hopeful that Kohli will also make himself available for domestic cricket to maintain match fitness.
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