Round 3 matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy will get underway on Thursday, with the focus being on Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan specifically. While the Bengal pacer has been included in the squad, it remains to be seen if he will play in the game against Tripura after missing the first two matches. Meanwhile, the competition between Iyer and Kishan heats up as they fight for a spot in India’s squad for Champions Trophy 2025.
Will Shami feature in Bengal’s round 3 match in Vijay Hazare Trophy?
Shami has been dealt with a blow in the form of swelling in his knees while he aspired to make his comeback to international cricket. While the BCCI has ruled out any chances of the pacer joining the Indian squad for the reminder of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, his participation in the rest of the VHT matches hinges on his recovery. The veteran pacer went under the knife earlier this year after sustaining an ankle injury last year. After recovering from the injury, he managed to make his comeback in the Ranji Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, injury flare-ups resulted in Shami being rested for the opening round matches in the 50-over tournament. While his brother Kaif is expected to make it to the playing XI, doubts loom over Shami’s fitness and his participation.
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Ishan Kishan vs Shreyas Iyer for CT 2025 spot
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan have been in red-hot form in domestic tournaments over the last couple of months. The duo were axed from BCCI’s Central Contracts list earlier this year and have made it a point since then to impress selectors in order to find their way back to the national side. While Iyer succeeded in making a comeback in the series against Sri Lanka, Kishan is yet to do so, despite faring well so far.
Both Iyer and Kishan have a ton each to their name in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. While the Mumbai batter slammed an 114-run knock in the team’s opening match in VHT, Kishan sizzled with a 134-run knock for Jharkhand in the previous match. The duo will fight it out for a spot in India’s squad for Champions Trophy, for which the Vijay Hazare Trophy serves as the audition stage.
Vijay Hazare Trophy round 3 schedule
| Match | Venue | Date | Time (Local) |
| Arunachal Pradesh vs Mumbai, Group C | Gujarat College Ground, Ahmedabad | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Nagaland vs Puducherry, Group C | ADSA Railways Cricket Ground, Ahmedabad | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Tamil Nadu vs Uttar Pradesh, Group D | Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Chhattisgarh vs Vidarbha, Group D | Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium, Visakhapatnam | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Chandigarh vs Mizoram, Group D | Vizzy Stadium, Vizianagaram | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Bengal vs Tripura, Group E | NexGen Cricket Ground, Hyderabad | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Kerala vs Madhya Pradesh, Group E | Gymkhana Ground, Hyderabad | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Bihar vs Delhi, Group E | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Punjab vs Karnataka, Group C | Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground, Ahmedabad | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Hyderabad vs Saurashtra, Group B | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Odisha vs Uttarakhand, Group A | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Haryana vs Jharkhand, Group A | Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground, Jaipur | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Assam vs Gujarat, Group A | KL Saini Ground, Jaipur | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Goa vs Manipur, Group A | Dr Soni Stadium, Jaipur | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Railways vs Services, Group B | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Himachal Pradesh vs Rajasthan, Group B | Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC, Mumbai | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Maharashtra vs Meghalaya, Group B | Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
| Andhra vs Sikkim, Group B | Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai | Dec 26 | 09:00 |
