Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli not pushed by BCCI to play in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025 - Reports

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli did well in the recent three-match ODI series against South Africa.

With both senior Indian players confirming their participation in the forthcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will make their much-awaited return to domestic cricket.

After a stellar run of performances in the just-finished series against South Africa, the two, who now only play in ODIs for India, seem eager to retain rhythm and match fitness. Although Rohit’s availability was previously announced by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), it is now confirmed by rumors that Kohli has also consented to participate, which was confirmed by Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated that the decision was completely voluntary, refuting rumors that the board had told the veterans to play local cricket in order to protect their ODI careers.

BCCI official confirms that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli voluntarily agreed to play VHT

Responding to queries from RevSportz, a BCCI official dismissed the idea of any directive from the board, stating: “They have decided, it’s their decision.”

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selection committee, and Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, have both been outspoken in recent months about the value of playing domestic cricket, particularly for players who have long intervals between international commitments.

Rohit and Kohli participated in the Ranji Trophy earlier this year for their respective state teams, something neither had done frequently in the previous ten years, thanks to that strong drive.

The seasoned pair remains essential to India’s ODI system despite the debates about their workload and long-term goals. Both of them made major contributions to India’s 2-1 series victory, and their performances in the South Africa series only served to highlight their worth.

Rohit hammered two half-centuries, 57, 14, and 75 in the three ODIs, while Kohli roared back into form after a lukewarm outing in the Australia series. He slammed 135 in the first ODI, 102 in the second ODI, and made 65* in the third ODI of the series.

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