Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Miss Fourth-Round Vijay Hazare Trophy Matches

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will not participate in the fourth round of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Both senior Indian cricketers played the first two matches of the tournament, but after missing the previous round, they will now be unavailable for Wednesday's matches.

Wednesday’s Vijay Hazare Trophy Match Schedule

On Wednesday, the match between Mumbai and Goa will be played at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground in Jaipur. Meanwhile, Delhi and Odisha will face each other at the KSCA Cricket Ground in Alur. Fans will not be able to see Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma in action in either match.

Rohit Sharma's Vijay Hazare Journey Ends Here

Rohit Sharma's Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign was already limited. He planned to play only two matches, which he has already completed for Mumbai. After this, he has decided to take a break from the tournament as the ODI series between India and New Zealand is approaching. The Indian ODI squad will assemble on January 8, with the first ODI being played in Vadodara on January 11. Rohit is focusing on his preparations, keeping his international commitments in mind.

Virat Kohli to Play One More Match

Unlike Rohit, Virat Kohli will play one more match for Delhi. He will be available for the match against Railways on January 6th at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE), Bengaluru. This was confirmed by Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley. Speaking to PTI, he said that Virat had provided his availability for three matches.

Reason for Playing Extra Match

The BCCI had directed centrally contracted players to play at least two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, which Virat Kohli has already completed. Despite this, Virat has decided to play an extra match to maintain his match fitness and rhythm before the ODI series against New Zealand.

Virat Kohli's excellent form for Delhi

Playing for Delhi, Virat Kohli has delivered impressive performances in the opening matches of the tournament. He smashed a blistering 131 in the first match and scored 77 in the second. These performances further demonstrated his consistency.

New Record in List A Cricket

During this period, Virat Kohli also achieved a major milestone in List A cricket. He became the fastest player in the world to reach 16,000 List A runs. Virat achieved this record in just 330 innings, breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record, who had achieved this mark in 391 innings.

Team India's Preparations Before the New Zealand Series

Team India is finalizing its preparations ahead of the ODI series between India and New Zealand. The Indian ODI squad will assemble in Vadodara on January 8, and it is possible that Virat Kohli may arrive a day earlier for training. Meanwhile, according to PTI reports, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah may be rested from the ODI series due to workload management. Both players are considered crucial for the home T20 World Cup, starting in February.

Focus Now on International Cricket

After this phase of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the focus has completely shifted to international cricket. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be expected to give the team a strong start in the upcoming New Zealand ODI series.

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