A day after Virat Kohli’s return to domestic cricket was confirmed with his inclusion in Delhi’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad, another senior India stalwart is set to feature in the tournament. Former India captain Rohit Sharma has been named in Mumbai’s squad for the first two matches of the competition, marking a rare overlap of India’s modern greats in the 50-over domestic tournament.
Mumbai will be led by Shardul Thakur and boast a mix of experience and youth, with Rohit available for the opening two fixtures. The squad also includes Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan, and rising talent Angkrish Raghuvanshi, while seasoned performers Siddhesh Lad, Shams Mulani, and Tanush Kotian add depth. Wicketkeeping duties will be shared between Akash Anand and Hardik Tamore.
Notably absent from the Mumbai squad are Ajinkya Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ayush Mhatre, as selectors opt to test several fresh faces. Chinmay Sutar, who last featured in List A cricket for India Emerging in 2019, earns a recall, while batter Ishan Mulchandani and fast bowler Onkar Tarmale, recently picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL auction, also find places.
Mumbai are placed in Group C and will begin their campaign against Sikkim in Jaipur on December 24, followed by a clash with Uttarakhand on December 26.
Delhi, meanwhile, are set to play seven matches between December 24 and January 8 in Group D. Rishabh Pant will captain the side, with Ayush Badoni named vice-captain. Kohli’s inclusion has drawn significant attention, though it remains unclear how many matches he and Pant will be available for, given India’s three-match ODI series beginning January 11 in Vadodara.
Delhi’s squad features a strong batting core with Kohli, Yash Dhull, Nitish Rana, Priyansh Arya, and Arpit Rana, while Tejasvi Dahiya will serve as the primary wicket keeper behind Pant. Anuj Rawat has been named standby. The bowling attack is led by experienced pacers Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini, supported by Simarjeet Singh and Prince Yadav, with spin options including Hrithik Shokeen, Harsh Tyagi, and Vaibhav Kandpal.
Delhi will open their campaign against Andhra on December 24, followed by a match against Gujarat on December 26, with both games scheduled at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.