Two of India’s biggest cricketing icons, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are at a career crossroads in the One-Day International (ODI) format. With no ODIs lined up for the national team in the immediate future and the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup still two years away, questions loom over their future in the format. Recent reports hint at the possibility of both stepping away from 50-over cricket altogether, with the Australia ODI series in October 2025 potentially marking their final appearance for India.
In the midst of this uncertainty, speculation has emerged about the duo participating in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025, India’s premier domestic one-day tournament, starting December 24. As fans wonder if they will indeed take the field, it’s worth revisiting the last time Kohli and Rohit played in the competition.
Virat Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Return Would End a 15-Year Gap
Virat Kohli’s last appearance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy dates all the way back to February 18, 2010, when he captained Delhi against Services in Gurgaon.
Delhi piled up a mammoth 311/4 in their 50 overs, powered by a majestic 148 from Mithun Manhas and a crucial 56 from Rajat Bhatia. Kohli, coming in lower down the order, played a short but brisk cameo—16 runs off 8 balls—before Delhi’s bowlers sealed a 113-run victory.
Interestingly, Kohli even rolled his arm over for an over of medium pace, while Pravesh Chikara starred with four wickets.
If Kohli does return for the 2025 edition, it would be his first Vijay Hazare outing in over a decade and a half—an unmissable moment for domestic cricket fans and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for young players sharing the field with a modern-day legend.
Rohit Sharma’s Last Vijay Hazare Trophy Game Came in a Winning Campaign
For Rohit Sharma, the last Vijay Hazare Trophy appearance came in 2018, during the semi-final clash between Mumbai and Hyderabad at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Hyderabad, driven by Rohit Rayudu’s unbeaten 121, set a competitive target of 247 runs. Mumbai’s Tushar Deshpande kept them in check with three wickets, before Rohit Sharma walked out to open alongside Prithvi Shaw.
Rohit managed 17 runs off 24 balls before falling to Mehdi Hassan, but Mumbai chased down the target comfortably. Shaw’s fluent 61 and Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 55 carried Mumbai to an eight-wicket win, and they went on to lift the trophy by defeating Delhi in the final.
If Rohit returns in 2025, it would mark his comeback to the domestic stage after seven years, adding star power and huge fan interest to the tournament.
Why Vijay Hazare Performances May Not Impact Their ODI Futures
While fans are excited at the prospect of seeing Kohli and Rohit in domestic action, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes their participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy won’t influence ODI selection.
Chopra points out that India are scheduled to play only nine ODIs before the 2026 IPL, meaning minimal match practice for the duo if they are not playing Tests or T20Is. He feels their decision to retire from Test cricket in May 2025 was a strategic misstep.
“Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli don’t have to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy—they wouldn’t be selected based on it, let’s be honest. If they had stayed in Test cricket, they would have been in the groove by playing Ranji Trophy or county cricket,” Chopra remarked on his YouTube channel.