Mumbai: Rohit Sharma has told the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that he will be available to play for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026-27, adding another major name to India’s premier domestic 50-over tournament as he builds towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the former India captain has informed the MCA that he will join Mumbai’s campaign after India’s three-match home ODI series against Sri Lanka, which runs from December 13 to 19 in Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. “He has informed us that he will be playing for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and to consider him available after India’s three-ODI series against Sri Lanka at home,” an MCA source told the newspaper. “How many matches he will be available for, he will inform us later.”
The timing is tight. The Vijay Hazare Trophy league stage runs from December 14 to 29, with the knockouts from January 2 to 8, so Mumbai will already be three matches into their campaign by the time Rohit becomes available. Reports point to the fourth league fixture, against Saurashtra on December 21, as the earliest realistic window for his return, with a short run of league games available before India’s three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe begins on January 3. Rohit will not play the T20I series against Sri Lanka that follows the ODIs, having retired from T20 internationals in 2024.
It will be Rohit’s second consecutive Vijay Hazare Trophy appearance. Last season he played two matches for Mumbai in Jaipur, his first games in the tournament since 2018, and the move underlined a clear pattern in the final phase of his career: whenever the international calendar allows, he is using domestic 50-over cricket to stay match-sharp rather than relying on nets alone. With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia now less than a year away, every competitive 50-over innings carries extra value for a batter whose ODI future is built entirely around that tournament.
Rohit is currently with the Indian squad ahead of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, which starts at Eden Park in Auckland on November 4, and his domestic availability will not affect that assignment. The immediate question for Mumbai is not whether he plays, but how many games he can fit in — and whether his presence lifts a side that will be juggling its own league campaign while its biggest star arrives midway through it.
The Indian Express has separately reported that Rohit is likely to return as Mumbai Indians captain for IPL 2027, although the franchise has not officially confirmed any leadership change. For now, the confirmed news is the domestic commitment: Mumbai can plan their Vijay Hazare Trophy run knowing their most experienced batter intends to be part of it, even if only for the closing stretch of the league stage.
Read our Rohit Sharma form guide here: https://t20star.com/rohit-sharma-form-guide-new-zealand-tour-odis/
