No Kohli, No Rohit- All Eyes On Rishabh Pant And Rising Stars In Vijay Hazare Trophy

New Delhi: Today's match day in the Vijay Hazare Trophy brought a slightly different atmosphere. After appearing in the first two matches of the tournament, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have taken a break of a few days from the remaining matches. Both players decided to give themselves some relief amid a busy season. His absence naturally reduced the weight of the headlines a bit, but the competitiveness of the tournament has not been affected.

Why were Kohli and Rohit out? 

Many big names are still trying their best with bat and ball in the tournament. The most talked about thing is Rishabh Pant, who after returning to cricket, is trying to prove both his form and fitness on such a platform. Rinku Singh, on the other hand, is eager to prove his finishing abilities in 50 overs.
Eyes are also on young Vaibhav Suryamvanshi, who is becoming a mixture of curiosity and hope with every match. On the other hand, the presence of Abhishek Sharma can become a threat to any bowling attack.

Is there a big opportunity before the New Zealand series?

This time Vijay Hazare was not just a domestic tournament. The selectors are keeping a close eye on the players for the upcoming New Zealand ODI series. Every run, every catch and every ball can decide the fate of a player. For the players whose names are in the race for selection, these matches are, in a way the final audition.

Who is under the most pressure?

Rishabh Pant is on top of this list. The discussion is going on that his place in the ODI team is not confirmed. The selectors may consider Ishan Kishan as a backup wicketkeeper, whose recent form and brilliance in the SMAT have strengthened his bid. For this reason, it has now become necessary for Pant to not only score runs but also prove to be consistently reliable behind the wicket.

This is where names like Dhruv Jurel also come into the picture, who by playing an inning of 160 runs today has sent a direct message to the selectors that the competition is now straight and the place will not be left easy.

Big highlights of today's match

• Priyansh Arya started for Delhi by scoring 78 runs, however, after missing out on a century, the team looked in trouble.
• Abhishek Porel kept the chase alive by scoring a brilliant century for Bengal. Now the team hopes that he can make it a match-winning innings.
• Mumbai defeated Chhattisgarh by 9 wickets, Shams Mulani and Shardul Thakur together demolished the opposition.
• Karun Nair and Devdutt Padikkal failed today. The tag of experience and trust could not be converted into runs today.
• Kohli has indicated that he will be available to play against Railways on January 6, which will again increase the excitement among the spectators.

Vijay Hazare Trophy: A stepping stone to shape the future 

This phase of Vijay Hazare Trophy is not just a day-long event of domestic cricket. This can be called a stepping stone to shape the future picture of the Indian team. Where every stroke, every mistake, every win, every wicket can take the national team a little closer or a little further away from the door.