Shubman Gill opens up on whether Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be asked to play Vijay Hazare: 'There's a long...'

Rohit and Virat got among the runs, but the two would be the first ones to realise that they need more competitive cricket as they play just one format, having retired from Tests and T20Is. There is already enough chatter about the duo possibly playing the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy in December 2025.

India ODI captain Shubman Gill all but confirmed that senior players might be asked to participate in the tournament, as he stated that discussions will take place after the ODI series against South Africa later this year.

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It is worth noting that Rohit and Virat will next be seen in action in the three-match series against South Africa, which begins on November 30. Once this ends in December, there are no ODIs scheduled till January 2026 against New Zealand. Hence, RoKo might just have to play domestic cricket to show everyone that they still want to play as much as possible.

When Gill was quizzed about Rohit and Virat playing domestic cricket, he told reporters, “Right now, we haven't had any discussions. There's not much gap left for the South Africa series. There's a bit of a gap between the South Africa and New Zealand series. We will have discussions after the South Africa series, and we will decide on how to keep the players in touch.”

It is worth mentioning that the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, had earlier stated that he wants all the centrally-contracted players to represent state teams in domestic cricket whenever the schedule allows. This comment was seen as a direct sign asking the two senior players to play some domestic cricket.

Earlier, Rohit and Virat had opted not to participate in the three-match India A series against Australia A before travelling Down Under.

‘I can ask anything’

After having won his first ODI as the captain for India, Gill said that having Rohit and Virat around helps him as they are more than willing to share their experiences.

“It is always helpful. Both of them have played a lot in Australia. They have won so many matches for the country. Having Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma helps me as a captain. I can ask them anything whenever I have any doubts in the field. It is a big relief that I can always go upto Rohit and Kohli,” said Gill.

Speaking of the third and final ODI, India won the contest comprehensively after bundling out Australia for 236. Harshit Rana returned with four wickets while Washington Sundar took two.

Virat and Rohit then put on a masterclass, helping India win the contest with nine wickets in hand and 69 balls to spare.

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