Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) has selected Venkatesh Iyer as captain of their men’s senior team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy league stage, scheduled in Ahmedabad from December 24 to January 8, 2026.
The 30-year-old Iyer was recently acquired by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the mini-auction for Rs 7 crore after spending four years with Kolkata Knight Riders from 2021 to 2025, where he won an Indian Premier League (IPL) title. This captaincy role with Madhya Pradesh is a significant boost for Iyer.
In addition to Iyer, the squad includes experienced players like Yash Dubey, along with IPL star Kumar Kartikeya, who moved to Rajasthan Royals last year after playing for Mumbai Inddigihunt from 2022 to 2024. Shubham Sharma and Harpreet Singh are also part of the 16-member squad, which features Madhav Tiwari, subject to fitness.
This edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 is notable due to the participation of top stars such as India internationals Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Prasidh Krishna, who have been picked by their respective states. Virat has confirmed his availability for Delhi, while Rohit is open to representing Mumbai in the league stage. KL Rahul and Prasidh Krishna have been included in the squad for defending champions Karnataka.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has mandated the participation of top stars in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With a three-week gap between India’s final T20I against South Africa in Ahmedabad on December 19 and the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11, 2026, the Board is eager for senior players to utilize this window for domestic cricket.
Madhya Pradesh Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy League Stage:
- Venkatesh Iyer (Captain)
- Harsh Gawli
- Himanshu Mantri (WK)
- Yash Dubey
- Shubham Sharma
- Harpreet Singh
- Rishabh Chauhan
- Ritik Tada
- Kumar Kartikeya
- Saransh Jain
- Shivang Kumar
- Aryan Pandey
- Rahul Batham
- Tripuresh Singh
- Mangesh Yadav
- Madhav Tiwari (subject to fitness)