Rohit Sharma to Play for Mumbai in Vijay Hazare Trophy After India’s ODI Series Against Sri Lanka

Former India captain Rohit Sharma has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he will be available to represent Mumbai in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, scheduled to begin in December.

According to The Indian Express, Sharma is expected to join the Mumbai squad after India’s three-match home ODI series against Sri Lanka, scheduled from December 13 to 19. The matches will be played in Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, with the opening ODI taking place a day before the domestic tournament begins.

“He has informed us that he will be playing for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and to consider him available after India’s three-ODI series against Sri Lanka at home. How many matches he will be available for, he will inform us later,” an MCA source told the newspaper.

The league stage of the Vijay Hazare Trophy will run from December 14 to 29, followed by the knockout rounds from January 2 to 8.

India’s ODI series against Sri Lanka will be followed by three T20 Internationals beginning December 22, which Sharma will not feature in. This could allow him to participate in the final 10 days of the Vijay Hazare Trophy league stage.

The league matches will be held in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Ranchi and Rajkot, while the knockout fixtures are scheduled in Visakhapatnam.

India will subsequently play a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe beginning January 3. The final match of that series is scheduled to take place at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on January 9.

Rohit Returns to Domestic 50-Over Cricket

This will not be Sharma’s first appearance for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in recent years.

During the previous season, the veteran batter made himself available for Mumbai and featured in two matches in Jaipur. It was his first appearance in the tournament since 2018.

Sharma made an impressive 155 off 94 deliveries against Sikkim in his first match but was dismissed for a golden duck against Uttarakhand two days later.

Before his return last season, he had represented Mumbai in 18 Vijay Hazare Trophy matches.

The 38-year-old now plays only one international format for India, having retired from T20 Internationals in 2024 and Test cricket in 2025.

With the next ODI World Cup approaching, participation in domestic 50-over cricket could provide Sharma with valuable match practice.

Rohit Sharma Could Return as Mumbai Indians Captain in IPL 2027

Meanwhile, Sharma could also take on a significant leadership role at his IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians, ahead of the 2027 season.

According to an earlier report by The Indian Express, the franchise is considering handing him back the captaincy for IPL 2027.

Under current captain Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians lost 10 of their 14 matches in the previous IPL season and finished ninth in the standings. The franchise has now gone six years without winning the title.

Sharma previously led Mumbai Indians to five IPL championships, a record matched only by MS Dhoni.

A source told the newspaper that Sharma had initially suggested young batter Tilak Varma as a possible captain but agreed to take charge again after the franchise approached him.

Rohit Focuses on Upcoming International Assignments

Sharma is also part of India’s ODI squad for the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand, which begins next week.

The experienced batter recently trained at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) ground as he continued preparations for his international commitments.

India have no ODI assignments scheduled between the Zimbabwe series and the next IPL season. With the ODI World Cup on the horizon, Sharma’s proposed participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy could offer him an opportunity to maintain his form and match fitness.

His availability will therefore be closely watched as Mumbai prepare for the domestic competition and India continue their preparations for future international assignments.