Former India captain Rohit Sharma has stated that he will be available for Mumbai’s first two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches beginning on December 24. However, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is recuperating from gastritis, and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav will miss the initial games.
“Rohit will be available for the first two games,” a PTI report quoted a MCA source confirming late in the night.
“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 had earlier told PTI.
When asked about Rohit’s availability in the morning, Chairman of Selectors Patil appeared to be in the dark, raising the question of whether he has clear communication with MCA authorities.
“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 had said.
The 50-over tournament’s elite division will take place in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Jaipur, and Bengaluru from December 24 to January 8, while the knockout stages will take place at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru from January 12–18.
Group C includes Punjab, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, and Mumbai.
On December 24, Mumbai will play Sikkim on the tournament’s opening day.
