Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi are among the absentees for Mumbai in their initial Vijay Hazare matches
Mumbai's chief selector Sanjay Patil reveals the reason for their exclusion
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Star Indian batters Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav are all set to miss the opening two matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, starting from December 24.
The premier domestic ODI league will feature a total of 18 matches per round in the Group stages, which will be followed by the traditional knockout rounds from Quarter-Finals onwards.
This tournament will be helpful for not just the youngsters but also for those who are currently not on national duty.
Rohit Sharma will be one of the biggest attraction in the Vijay Hazare trophy this year as he prepares himself for an upcoming 3-match home ODI series against New Zealand.
However, chief selector Sanjay Patil has confirmed that Rohit, along with Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ajinkya Rahane will miss Mumbai's first two games against Sikkim and Uttarakhand.
Sanjay Patil reasoned that Mumbai are wanting to try out the youngsters and also confirmed that Yashasvi Jaiswal is undergoing treatment for a stomach issue.
"Rohit, Jaiswal, Dube and even Rahane will not be a part of the Mumbai squad for at least first two matches as the selection panel is going ahead with a young squad," Mumbai chief selector Sanjay Patil told PTI.
"Yashasvi is undergoing treatment for a stomach issue and he should be alright soon. We thought that the youngsters should be given a chance. But whenever they will be available, they will be accommodated," he said.
"But for the first two matches we are experimenting with youngsters," Patil added.
Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Tournament Details
The elite division of the 50-over tournament will be held from December 24 to January 8 in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jaipur and Bengaluru while the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru will host the knockout matches from January 12-18.
Mumbai are placed in Group C along with Punjab, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Goa and Himachal Pradesh.
(With PTI Inputs)
