Kohli and Rohit to Shine in Domestic Cricket: Vijay Hazare Trophy
Two of India’s cricketing legends, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are set to take the field in the domestic circuit on December 24. Both players, who now primarily play in just one international format, will participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s top 50-over tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has mandated that centrally contracted players must participate in at least two domestic matches this season, providing fans a precious chance to see their favorite athletes without the hefty price tag of international matches.
Virat Kohli will be captained by Ayush Badoni as Delhi faces Andhra Pradesh at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Initially, the match was supposed to be held at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, but it was relocated due to clearance issues with the venue.
On the other side, Rohit Sharma will represent Mumbai, playing under the leadership of Shardul Thakur. The Mumbai team will compete against Sikkim at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
Both Kohli and Rohit have been performing well in One Day Internationals and are keen to maintain that form in domestic cricket. However, they may face a slight adjustment as domestic games start earlier at 9:30 am, contrasting with the usual 1:30 pm start time for international matches. This earlier timing could lead to different playing conditions, especially for opening batsmen.
Where to Watch the Matches
Fans can catch some of the Vijay Hazare Trophy action on Star Sports Network, which will air a limited number of matches. Live streaming will be available on JioHotstar for those matches that are broadcasted.
Only two matches from Round 1 will be shown on television on December 24: Pondicherry versus Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad against Uttar Pradesh. Unfortunately, the matches featuring Delhi versus Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai versus Sikkim won’t be televised or streamed live.
However, enthusiasts can follow live scores and updates through the official BCCI website.
