India cricket team stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been asked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26 if they wish to represent India in ODIs in the future. The duo, who retired from T20Is last year and Test in May 2025, are currently active only in ODIs and were last seen in action in the series against Australia. Vijay Hazare Trophy – the domestic 50-over tournament in India – is scheduled to commence from December 24 onwards.
BCCI asks Ro-Ko to play VHT to keep ODI hopes alive
As per The Indian Express, Rohit has reportedly informed the Mumbai Cricket Association that he is willing to play in Vijay Hazare Trophy. Meanwhile, the report states that there is no clarity on Kohli’s availability. A source told the publication that the duo have been directed by the board to play domestic cricket in order to stay match fit as they are active only in one format of the game.
“The board and team management have conveyed to both of them that they will have to play domestic cricket if they want to play for India. As they both have retired from two formats, they have to play domestic cricket to be match-fit,” a BCCI source said.
This was said by chief selector Ajit Agarkar earlier as well. At the press conference, Agarkar made it clear, that if free, it is compulsory for players to play in domestic cricket. “We have made it clear that if guys are free they should be playing domestic cricket,” Agarkar said.
The duo of Ro-Ko returned to domestic cricket for the first time in years when they were a part of a Ranji Trophy game earlier this year. In the recently-concluded IND vs AUS ODI series, Rohit registered scores of 8. 73 and 121 while Kohli managed 0, 0 and 74.
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