Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to Play Vijay Hazare Trophy After Meeting with Agarkar

In response to top selector Ajit Agarkar's warning, senior Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have taken the first step towards ensuring their inclusion in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Before the home ODI series against New Zealand begins in January, Kohli and Rohit are anticipated to play in at least three, if not four, Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, according to a PTI report.

Every centrally contracted player who is healthy and available must play domestic cricket, according to Agarkar, to remain eligible for future national selections, including the 2027 ODI World Cup. Agarkar’s directive followed worries about experienced players avoiding domestic cricket. He declared during the Australia ODI series team announcement that players with lengthy intervals between international assignments could not afford to miss out on home competitions such as the Vijay Hazare Trophy. 

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's Upcoming Games:

🚨 ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

🚨 ROHIT SHARAM & VIRAT KOHLI 🚨

Rohit sharma & Virat kohli will play vijay hazare trophy in December 2025. pic.twitter.com/LVS0g5qpKS

— indianTeamCric (@Teamindiacrick) September 20, 2025

This comes days after Agarkar, who had been unsure about Rohit and Kohli's selection for the World Cup in South Africa, stated in the press conference for the team announcement for the ODI tour of Australia that he expected them to play in the domestic List A tournament.

In a statement, he revealed, “I think we made it clear a year or a couple of years back, now, that whenever players are available, they should be playing domestic cricket. I mean, that’s the only way you’ll keep yourself sharp and playing cricket, if you’ve got a long enough break. Whether that’s possible with the international cricket you’re playing or not, that only time will tell, but if the guys are free, they should be playing domestic cricket.”

Both Rohit and Kohli have reportedly stated that they are available for at least three, if not four, of the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, which start on December 24, according to a Hindustan Times story. They can play for their respective state teams, Delhi (Virat Kohli) and Mumbai (Rohit Sharma), during the five weeks between the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11 and the last ODI against South Africa on December 6.

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