Mumbai, Dec 20: Prominent India players such as Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Suryakumar Yadav will not compete in at least the first two matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy as the selectors are keen to blood youngsters in the Mumbai side.Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube will also miss the initial games.
“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 said.
“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.
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.
Mumbai will take on Sikkim on the opening day of the tournament on December 24.With the focus firmly on succession planning and bench strength, Mumbai’s decision to field a youthful side in the early stages of the Vijay Hazare Trophy underlines a clear intent to invest in the future without losing sight of immediate results. The absence of senior international stars will place added responsibility on the next generation to seize the opportunity and stake their claim at the domestic level, particularly in a competitive Group C that offers little margin for error. As the tournament progresses across multiple venues before the knockouts in Bengaluru, Mumbai will closely monitor how the youngsters respond to pressure and adapt to the demands of 50-over cricket, with the option of reintegrating experienced campaigners later ensuring flexibility in their campaign while laying the groundwork for long-term continuity.