Virat Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Refusal Puts BCCI In A Tight Spot Amid Growing Rift With Gambhir

Virat Kohli’s decision to skip the Vijay Hazare Trophy has pushed the BCCI into a tight corner, intensifying tensions already simmering within the Indian dressing room.
According to reliable sources, Kohli has declined the board’s request to participate in the domestic one-day tournament, even as Rohit Sharma has confirmed his availability and aligned fully with BCCI’s push for players to feature in domestic cricket.

The development comes amid reports of a growing disconnect between Kohli and India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir over key decisions regarding the star batter’s future. With BCCI keen on maintaining equal standards for all players, Kohli’s refusal has left the board reluctant to grant any exceptions—even for someone of his stature.

Sources revealed that the selection committee considers domestic participation crucial and had earlier insisted both Rohit and Kohli play the Ranji Trophy after the disappointing Test series in Australia.

Kohli, who recently stated that he relies more on mental preparation than “excessive practice,” believes his years of experience and fitness foundation allow him to focus directly on ODIs without additional domestic workload.

With matters escalating, national selector Pragyan Ojha has been rushed to Raipur to mediate between Kohli and Gambhir as concerns grow over the internal atmosphere around the team.