Vijay Hazare: Kohli, Rohit tons in domestic comeback steal show

Star batter Virat Kohli reached another milestone in his illustrious career on Wednesday, becoming just the second Indian cricketer to cross 16,000 runs in List A cricket during his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. On the same day, Rohit made a sensational comeback to domestic cricket, scoring a century in what was his first Vijay Hazare outing in seven years for Mumbai.

Chasing Sikkim’s 236 runs in Jaipur, Rohit slammed a series of sixes and fours that made the target seem easy to reach. Approaching 14,000 runs in the 50-over format, this century marked the former India skipper’s 37th in List A cricket, adding to his tally of 33 international centuries for India.

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Earlier in the day, Kohli, turning out for Delhi against Andhra Pradesh at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, reached the milestone off the very first run of a 299-run chase. The moment underlined both his longevity and his enduring dominance in the 50-over game.

With this achievement, Kohli joins an elite group of batters to breach the 16,000-run mark in List A cricket. He is only the ninth player overall to do so, following legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Sir Vivian Richards. Among Indians, only Tendulkar has previously reached the milestone.

The 37-year-old’s appearance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy marked his first in the competition since the 2010–11 season, when he captained Delhi. Although he featured in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy in 2013–14, Kohli had stayed away from India’s premier domestic 50-over tournament for nearly a decade, making his return one of the highlights of this year’s edition.

While the 16,000-run mark reflects his consistency across List A cricket, Kohli’s ODI record remains the cornerstone of his legacy. He is currently the second-highest run-scorer in ODI history, trailing only Tendulkar. Kohli has amassed 14,557 runs from 308 matches at an average of 58.46, reached 14,000 runs faster than any other player, and holds the record for the most ODI centuries with 53.

Kohli has also accumulated 57 centuries across all List A cricket and is now within sight of Tendulkar’s all-time record of 60 in the format.

Since making his List A debut for Delhi in 2006 in the Ranji One-Day Tournament, Kohli’s rise has been marked by sustained excellence. Nearly two decades on, his return to domestic cricket offered a timely reminder of his lasting impact on the game.

Suryavanshi becomes youngest List A centurion

Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued his remarkable rise by producing another record-shattering innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Wednesday, hammering a 36-ball century for Bihar in their Plate league opener against Arunachal Pradesh at the JSCA Oval Ground.

The blistering hundred made Suryavanshi the second-fastest Indian to a List A century, bettered only by Anmolpreet Singh’s 35-ball effort against the same opponents in last season’s tournament. On the global list, the knock stands as the joint fourth-fastest century ever recorded in List A cricket.

The teenager showed no signs of slowing down after reaching three figures. He brought up 150 from just 54 balls and went on to score a stunning 190 off 84 deliveries before being dismissed, powering Bihar to 379 for 2 in just 39 overs at the time of reporting.

Suryavanshi’s latest display has further cemented his reputation as one of the most exciting young batting prospects in the domestic circuit.

In the same match, Bihar captain Sakibul Gani became the fastest Indian to score a List A century in just 32 balls. Gani finished not out with 128 off 40 balls, just ahead of Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who on the same day scored a 33-ball century against Karnataka in the same tournament. Gani’s record-breaking century included 10 fours and 12 sixes.