Unlike in the past, both Saurashtra and Vidarbha do not have any superstars in their line-up.
Shubman Gill is set to use the Vijay Hazare Trophy as his first platform for response after being left out of India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad.
What stands out in Kohli's current run is the balance -- the familiar, calculated ODI template remains intact, but there is also a noticeable willingness to take calculated risks.
The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
Riyan Parag resumes batting in nets
Virat Kohli top-scored with a splendid innings of 93 from 91 balls, anchoring India's run chase of 301 with eight fours and one six during the series opener against New Zealand.
He was greeted with chants of 'Kohli, Kohli' with fans jostling for selfies and handshakes, as Kohli struggled to make his way through the crowd to his car.
'He's the guy who can win you games with bat and ball. He can bowl in any situation, he can bat anywhere in the line up.'
Shubman Gill will return 'better, stronger' after T20 World Cup snub: Gujarat Titans COO
Kohli, Simarjeet sparkle as Delhi down Andhra by 4 wickets in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Shreyas Iyer, Riyan Parag and Jitesh Sharma are the three names that Aakash Chopra has thrown in as potential replacements for the injured Tilak Varma.
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Aman Khan concedes record 123 as Jharkhand dominate Puducherry.
Despite piling up runs in domestic cricket and delivering whenever handed a chance for India, Sarfaraz Khan remains on the sidelines -- a situation that former chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has described as both baffling and unfair.
'He just has to do what he does best -- which is to destroy opposition bowling.'
Ashwin added that Kohli is in fine touch, a positive sign for Indian cricket.
While the first India vs New Zealand ODI will be played at Vadodara, the second match will get underway at Rajkot. The teams will face off for the final ODI of the series at Indore.
Rohit Sharma perished for a golden duck but Mumbai had enough firepower in its arsenal to quell the Uttarakhand challenge by 51 runs in a Group C match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Strong fifties from Atharva Taide and Ravikumar Samarth powered Vidarbha into the quarterfinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a thumping 160-run win over Assam in Rajkot on Thursday.
As India approaches a new year of cricketing action, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan questioned that with ODI-exclusive stalwarts in such impressive form, why there are no more five-match ODI series or any triangular/quadrangular series taking place.
'We will need to review the scheduling of matches between 15 December to 15 January in north India.'
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
Ranji Trophy: MP enter quarterfinals; Saurashtra on brink of qualification
Of the 77 players signed at the auction, 35 of them were uncapped Indians, and one among them was the highly rated all-rounder Mangesh Yadav, who was snapped up by defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a hefty sum of Rs 5.2 crore (Rs 52 million).
Rishabh Pant's wicket was more than just another dismissal on the scorecard -- it was the moment Delhi's chase began to collapse
Abhishek encountered problems whenever the length was marginally shortened, but the way he used his feet was pure joy to watch.
'He must be telling you that you doubted me? Now I have shown what I can do. I have got it in me.' There is a lot more to Virat Kohli's animated celebrations in Ranchi and Raipur than meets the eye, believes Ravichandran Ashwin.
Devdutt Padikkal slammed his second consecutive ton, while Karun Nair also scored a run-a-ball century to guide defending champions Karnataka to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Kerala.
Hardik Pandya is finally set to return to cricketing action.
'The 50-over World Cup is still two and a half years away. It is very important to stay in the present.'
Chetan Sakariya has taken a small step in his comeback trail, appearing for Saurashtra in the ongoing domestic season, a first for him since February 2024.
Devdutt Padikkal is turning the Vijay Hazare Trophy into a compelling audition for higher honours, registering his third century in four matches to keep his name firmly in the India ODI conversation.
The day was all about a hero and his fans, and by the time they left the stadium, 18 fours and nine sixes from the former India skipper had more than satiated their appetite.
At the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground, Shardul won the toss and used the early morning nip to good effect to reduce Chattisgarh to 10 for 4 inside first five overs.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi was felicitated with the 'Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar' by the President Droupadi Murmu on Friday
Dhruv Jurel continued his remarkable form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 with an unbeaten 160 for Uttar Pradesh against Baroda, a knock that sends a clear message to selectors ahead of India's New Zealand ODI series.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta feels that India's T20I vice-captain Shubham Gill, who is currently struggling to get going in the shortest format, has to play a similar role what Virat Kohli did for so long by consistently holding on to one end.
Never believed in over-preparation, all my game has been mental: Kohli
India have been served well by Shreyas Iyer in ODIs at No. 4 but with the Mumbai batter unavailable due to injury, the team management entrusted Gaikwad with the job to build the innings and he did it with aplomb, hitting his maiden century in the second ODI against South Africa on Wednesday.
Devdutt Padikkal and Ravichandran Smaran starred with the bat, guiding Karnataka to a five-wicket win over Haryana in the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final.
Karnataka won their fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy title, defeating Vidarbha by 36 runs in a high-scoring final. Smaran Ravichandran's stylish century (101 off 92) and Abhinav Manohar's blistering 79 off 42 propelled Karnataka to a commanding total of 348 for 6. Dhruv Shorey's third consecutive century (110) went in vain for Vidarbha, who were all out for 312 in 48.2 overs despite Harsh Dubey's explosive 63 off 30 balls.
