Amid growing speculation about Rohit Sharma's domestic return, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has clarified that it has not received any official word from the Indian captain regarding his availability
for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.
This comes after earlier reports suggested that Rohit had confirmed his participation in the premier domestic one-day tournament. Speaking to PTI, a senior MCA official dismissed those claims, stating, "There has been no communication as far as I am aware. "
The Vijay Hazare Trophy, India's national 50-over championship, is scheduled to be held across Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jaipur, and Bengaluru from December 25 to January 18, with all knockout fixtures taking place at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Mumbai's campaign is expected to begin on December 24, a day before the official start of the tournament.
Rohit, who recently struck a stellar unbeaten 121 in India's victory against Australia after scoring 73 in the previous match, was named Player of the Series despite India losing the three-match ODI series 1-2. The 37-year-old has been training at the MCA's Bandra Kurla Complex, where young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal also joined him before leaving for Kolkata to prepare for India's upcoming Test against South Africa.
Having stepped away from Tests and T20Is earlier this year, Rohit is expected to feature in India's ODI series against South Africa, beginning November 30 in Ranchi, followed by matches in Raipur and Visakhapatnam on December 3 and 6.
The Vijay Hazare Trophy sits perfectly between India's home ODI series against South Africa and New Zealand, but Rohit's participation remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli's domestic plans are also unclear, with the Delhi & District Cricket Association yet to receive any update from the veteran batter, who is currently based in London.
