Jaipur gears up to host ‘Rohit Sharma festival’ as Mumbai meets Sikkim in Vijay Hazare Trophy fixture

It felt like a festival at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Tuesday.

The stands, which were until recently covered with a thick growth of bushes, were being cleaned up hurriedly. The ad-hoc committee members of the Rajasthan Cricket Association could be seen rushing to help set up a quick felicitation programme (which eventually didn’t materialise). And, of course, die-hard cricket fans waited patiently for hours.

All this, for just one man—Rohit Sharma.

Following the BCCI’s mandate, Rohit will be featuring in the first two fixtures of the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai, beginning with the outing against Sikkim on Wednesday, and even though on paper, it may appear to be an uneven contest, Rohit sweated it out in the nets for nearly a couple of hours before inspecting the pitch, which looked flat.

Rohit’s presence has been a huge boost for the team, which recently missed out on a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final by a whisker. Especially because Mumbai will be without Ajinkya Rahane, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Suryakumar Yadav in the initial phase of the tournament.

Rohit got into a long discussion with the Mumbai batters and also seemed quite involved in the whole process.

READ: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 Preview: Why Rohit, Kohli and the 2027 World Cup make this season different

“Rohit has always been a guiding force for youngsters. We have seen that in the Indian team as well, where he gets a lot of praise from youngsters and fellow teammates. He is never short of advice when it comes to youngsters going and asking him about how to develop their own game and what his psyche is and all when he plays games. I can already see that he is continuing with that job,” said Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur.

Rohit’s participation in the tournament may have led to fan frenzy, but whether it makes any sense for the State sides, who have to deal with a skewed team balance once the international players leave, is a point to ponder upon.

Shardul has a different take on the issue. “Whenever all these quality players come and play, then the guys who are either not in form or slightly junior have to make way for these guys. And of course, if someone’s in brilliant form, then we need to look at how to make a place for him in the side. But as a Mumbai team, we have always kept the team ahead of an individual. So yes, all the focus is about the game and how to win the game,” he said.

“The Mumbai team is always known to have a lot of international players. Because of the kind of cricket that we play and the quality that we have as individuals and as a team, a lot of players also go and represent the Indian team. But when they come back, they absolutely play like a professional. And they know what’s required when they play for Mumbai. So yes, no one’s falling short of that duty,” Shardul, an India international himself, added.

ALSO READ: Chinnaswamy Stadium fails to get approval to host Vijay Hazare Trophy games

Things wouldn’t be any different for Rohit.

During the training session, Rohit was seen having a chat with the Maharashtra cricketers, who were also practising on the other side of the nets, and even when he got to the nets, the erstwhile India captain made it a point to share his thoughts with his young teammates, who seemed to be excited to be sharing the dressing room with the icon.

And the excitement isn’t limited to just Mumbai. The Sikkim cricketers are also looking forward to the ‘biggest match of their career’ and hope to pick Rohit’s brains after the match. “It’s a huge opportunity for us, because it’s not every day that we come across a player of his stature. So it’s a big boost for us, playing alongside him as well as being in the shadow or just being around him,” said Sikkim captain Lee Yong Lepcha.

“It’s a huge bonus for us. And if we can go back home and share this experience, it will definitely help the youngsters coming up to take up the spot…”

With the local authorities deciding to open a couple of stands for the spectators, a large turnout is expected when Rohit walks out to bat, donning the Mumbai colours. The local authorities assured that the security would be beefed up, especially after a few overenthusiastic fans almost scratched Rohit’s hands while clicking selfies on the match eve.

However, for Rohit, it’ll be about cutting out the noise and doing what he does best—hammering the bowlers and piling on the runs! 

Published on Dec 23, 2025