Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli to play Vijay Hazare Trophy:BCCI likely to release T20I World Cup squad in January; Bumrah returns home due to personal reasons

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it compulsory for all current Indian national team players to feature in at least two matches of the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, which begins on December 24. The move is aimed at ensuring that senior players remain connected to domestic cricket. With a three-week gap between India’s final T20I against South Africa in Ahmedabad on December 19 and the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11, 2026, the BCCI believes this window is ideal for international players to turn out for their state teams. The decision has been conveyed to players by the Ajit Agarkar-led national selection committee. This step follows an internal review conducted after India’s disappointing Test series in Australia earlier this year. The review strongly recommended greater emphasis on domestic cricket across all formats, especially for senior players. Senior players asked to play domestic cricket Veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have already confirmed their availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Other senior players, such as Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav, have also been instructed to play at least two matches for their respective state sides. Shreyas Iyer is the only exception at the moment, as he is still recovering from injury and will need more time to regain full fitness. All other players are expected to comply with the directive. “There are six rounds of Vijay Hazare Trophy scheduled between December 24 and start of the New Zealand ODIs. It is up to the players and their state associations to decide which two rounds they would like to play.
“But after the second T20I in Mullanpur, the players have been categorically told that playing Hazare isn’t optional,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Exceptions will be allowed only if a player is declared unfit by the Centre of Excellence. However, officials feel there is enough recovery time after the South Africa series. The decision also sends a clear message that the same rules apply to everyone, countering claims that only Kohli and Rohit were being singled out. T20I World Cup and New Zealand squads together India’s squad for the T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20I series will be announced on the same day, likely in the first week of January. “The squad that will be selected for the New Zealand T20Is will be the same that will be named for the T20 World Cup,” the source added. Bumrah returns home for personal reasons Jasprit Bumrah flew back home ahead of the third T20I in Dharamsala due to a family emergency. According to sources, a very close family member is currently hospitalised. “If all goes well, then he might return for the fourth or even fifth game (in Ahmedabad). But first priority is the recovery of his family member.”