Rohit Sharma is set to make himself available for the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) group stage, which will be held between 24th December and 8th January 8 as well as in the knock-out stage of the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), provided Mumbai qualify.

Mumbai has been placed in Group C, alongside Maharashtra, Punjab, and Goa, among others, and will play its fixtures in Jaipur in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already issued a mandatory circular instructing that the cricketers must feature in domestic cricket when not on national duty.

Mumbai cricket’s chief selector Sanjay Patil, however, has not yet received official confirmation about Rohit’s decision to play in VHT. While speaking to The Sportstar, he said, “Formally, I have not heard anything from Rohit yet. But I will be more than happy if he plays for Mumbai. It will be a huge gain for us.”

The Mushtaq Ali Trophy group league matches are scheduled to be held on 26th November and 8th December, while the knockout stage is scheduled to be held in Indore from 12th to 18th December. During the group stage, India will be busy in a three-match ODI series against South Africa.

Earlier this year, following the BCCI instruction, both Rohit and Virat Kohli featured in a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. The pair is currently active only in ODIs.

Now, with both wanting to continue till the 2027 ODI World Cup, they need to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy regularly, and Patil believes that if players of Rohit and Virat’s quality feature in the domestic tournaments, the teams will benefit. “They are role models for the young cricketers, so it would be wonderful if they played. It will boost the morale and motivate the youngsters if they get to share the dressing room with such players,” Patil added.

Patil also expressed gratitude, concluding, “Thanks to the BCCI for taking such an initiative, because if Rohit plays, youngsters like Ayush Mhatre and Musheer Khan can pick his brains and also follow his footsteps, which will be a big thing for the game.”