New Delhi: The opening day of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 witnessed exhilarating cricketing action as star power dominated the headlines on a record-laden day. The 32nd edition of India’s premier domestic 50-over competition kicked off in grand style with several A-listers of Indian cricket taking the field for their respective teams across the country. From Rohit Sharma to Virat Kohli to Mohammed Shami to Ishan Kishan, local fans witnessed the might and talent of international superstars on a blockbuster day of List-A cricket.
Rohit and Virat’s return to India’s annual List-A tournament dominated the headlines, and both superstars didn’t let their fans down. In fact, the seasoned pair mesmerised the supporters with a scintillating batting display for their respective teams. Apart from Virat and Rohit, several other international stars played on the inaugural day of the competition on December 24, 2026.
Let’s take a look at how they fared in the first round of VHT 2025-26.
Rohit Sharma (155 off 93 balls)
The former India skipper was at his destructive best against Sikkim in Mumbai’s opener at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium, which was filled in no time as soon as Sikkim’s innings ended on 236 for seven. Anticipating the arrival of the “Hitman”, no seat across three stands was left empty except one above the dressing room, which was closed due to security reasons. Around 20,000-plus people from the Pink City got their entertainment dose for free as Rohit notched up his 37th List A hundred full of exhilarating strokes.
Jaipur: Spectators during the Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Mumbai and Sikkim at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, in Jaipur, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (PTI Photo)
His masterful 155 off 93 balls was studded by 18 fours and nine maximums, somewhat aided by the quality of Sikkim’s bowling attack. Spare a thought for the Sikkim bowlers, who were having a fanboy moment, evident from their gifts to Rohit in the form of half-trackers.
Dropped twice, much to the relief of the fans, Rohit reached the three-figure mark in 62 balls and 150 in 91. He will play at least one more VHT match before turning his attention to the home ODI series against New Zealand.
Jaipur: Mumbai’s Rohit Sharma plays a shot during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Mumbai and Sikkim, at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, in Jaipur, Rajasthan, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (PTI Photo)
Virat Kohli (131 off 101 balls)
Like Rohit, Virat too scored a century, but unlike the Mumbaikar, he weaved his batting magic in an empty ground. The Karnataka government’s refusal to grant permission to host matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, citing security reasons, prompted the KSCA to shift matches to CoE, a venue out of bounds for fans.
Kohli, who feeds off the energy of the fans, walked onto the field in an unfamiliar atmosphere. But engraved in his mind was the ultimate duty of a batter – to score runs. That’s exactly what he did on his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after 15 years.
The aggressive start was an indicator of his untroubled mind, which had clarity despite the situational solitude. The ‘Chase Master’ was at his sublime best and showed the full range of shots, including pulls, charge to spinners, flicks, cuts and the typical straight drives.
Even before getting into his groove, Kohli, by just getting off the mark, broke Sachin Tendulkar’s record to become the fastest batter to reach 16000 List-A runs
His fifty came in 39 balls and 100 in 83 balls. The subdued celebrations were unfamiliar in nature, but the hunger to finish the chase was familiar. Kohli took Delhi to the doorstep of a win with a 101-ball 131-run knock.
Bengaluru: Delhi’s Virat Kohli celebrates his century during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 cricket match between Andhra and Delhi, at BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025.
After spending much of the time in silence, Kohli’s day ended in familiar chaos as Andhra cricketers and officials mobbed him for photographs and autographs.
While Kohli enjoyed a prolific outing with his 58th List A ton, his India teammate and Delhi captain, Rishabh Pant, failed to fire, scoring just 5 off nine balls. Besides Kohli, young star Priyansh Arya and seasoned campaigner Nitish Rana also made useful contributions with rapid half-centuries.
Ishan Kishan (125 off 39 balls)
Comeback man Ishan Kishan celebrated his recall to the Indian national team with a 33-ball century against Karnataka at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi. Kishan, who returned to the national set-up after two years after being selected in India’s squads for New Zealand T20Is and T20 World Cup 2026, smashed the second-fastest List A century by an Indian, days after leading Jharkhand to a maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.
However, his swashbuckling knock went in vain as Devdutt Padikkal’s 147 helped the visitors chase down 413 to record the second-highest run-chase in List-A cricket.
Here’s how other Indian players performed on the VHT 2024-25 opening day
Nitish Kumar Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) – 23 (21b, 1×4, 1×6) & 1/49
Abhishek Sharma (Punjab) – 48 (45b, 6×4, 2×6) & 1/29
Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra) – 1 (3b)
Mohammed Shami (Bengal) – 2/65
Akash Deep (Bengal) – 38 not out (24b, 2×4, 2×6) & 0/78
Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka) – 147 (118b, 10×4, 7×6)
Sai Sudharsan (Tamil Nadu) – 48 (48b, 9×4)
Dhruv Jurel (Uttar Pradesh) – 80 (61b, 4×4, 4×6)
Rinku Singh (Uttar Pradesh) – 67 (48b, 6×4, 2×6) & 0/29
While most of the international stars enjoyed a good outing, nothing can come close to the remarkable feats Bihar and its batters, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and S Gani, achieved.
Bihar captain Gani stole the limelight by scoring the fastest List A hundred by an Indian against Arunachal Pradesh in just 32 deliveries. His teammate and teenage sensation Suryavanshi reached the three-figure mark in 36 balls and finished on a mammoth 190 off 84 balls as Bihar notched up a world record 574/6 in 50 overs.