The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 has begun. Many records were seen on its very first day. Bihar’s team scored 574 runs, making the highest score in the history of ODI cricket. Odisha’s opening batsman Swastik Samal scored a double century.
As per the instructions of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it is mandatory for players with central contracts to play domestic cricket, especially when they are not on national duty. For this reason, many big players have taken the field this season.
Why Sanju Samson remain out of match?
Former captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma appeared in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after a long time. Rohit led Mumbai to an easy win against Sikkim with a 94-ball 155, while Kohli played a key role in Delhi’s victory against Andhra Pradesh with a 101-ball 131. However, despite strict BCCI orders, some other centrally contracted players, such as Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shivam Dube, did not play in the first round.
According to media reports, the BCCI has given players selected for the T20 World Cup the flexibility to play only the final two league matches of the tournament if they wish. The board requires all international stars to play at least one match, especially after the 3-1 Test series loss in Australia this year.
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has confirmed that Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube will play their final matches against Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on January 6 and 8, while Ravindra Jadeja is expected to do the same for Saurashtra. Other state teams are also in the same situation.
Kerala’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad: Rohan Kunnummal (captain), Sanju Samson, Vishnu Vinod (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Azharuddin (wicketkeeper), Ahmed Imran, Salman Nizar, Abhishek J. Nair, Krishna Prasad, Akhil Scaria, Abhijeet Praveen V, Biju Narayanan, Ankit Sharma, Baba Aparajith, Vignesh Puthur, Nidheesh MD, Asif KM, Abhishek P. Nair, Sharafuddeen NM, Eden Appleby TOM.