"Huge For Us": Sikkim Players Left In Awe As Rohit Sharma Makes Vijay Hazare Return

Star India batter Rohit Sharma has made his comeback to domestic List A cricket after a gap of seven years, turning out for Mumbai against Sikkim in their first Vijay Hazare Trophy game in Jaipur. One of India's greatest white-ball players of all time, Rohit's presence has seemingly even left the opposition star-struck. Sikkim captain Lee Yong Lepcha stated ahead of the game that just being in Rohit's shadow would be a big learning for the team, and particularly its youngsters. Lepcha also said that the opportunity to play against Rohit could motivate people to take up cricket in Sikkim.

"It is not every day that we get the opportunity to go up against a player of Rohit Sharma's stature," Lee Yong Lepcha told the media, as quoted by The Indian Express.

"It is huge for us to compete against him and just be in his shadow, just be around him. If we can go back home and share this experience, it will definitely help more youngsters take up the sport," Lepcha added.

For Rohit, it is a second domestic cricket appearance in 2025, having earlier appeared for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy earlier this year. The 38-year-old is currently ranked as the No. 1 ODI batter in the world.

Rohit has confirmed that he will play for Mumbai in their first two Vijay Hazare Trophy games, against Sikkim and Uttarakhand, before eventually shifting focus to India's ODI series against New Zealand in January.

Much like Rohit, fellow India stalwart Virat Kohli - who is ranked No. 2 in ODIs - has also returned to domestic cricket. Kohli, 37, is also set to play for Delhi in each of their first two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches.

While the duo have been in great form in international cricket, their ultimate goal remains winning the 2027 Cricket World Cup.

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Rohit Sharma MUM Cricket India Cricket Team