Ishan Kishan appointed Jharkhand captain for Vijay Hazare Trophy
What's the story
Star wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan will lead Jharkhand in the 2025/26 Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), India's domestic 50-over competition. The Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) announced the same on Monday. The impending VHT season is set to begin on December 24, with Jharkhand's first match against Karnataka in Ahmedabad. Notably, Kishan recently led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.
Team composition
Jharkhand's squad for VHT 2025/26 season
Along with Kishan, the Jharkhand squad includes Anukul Roy, Robin Minz, and Virat Singh. Squad: Ishan Kishan (captain and wicket-keeper), Virat Singh, Utkarsh Singh, Kumar Kushagra (vice-captain), Robin Minz, Anukul Roy, Sharandeep Singh, Shikhar Mohan, Pankaj Kumar (wicket-keeper), Bala Krishna, Md Kounain Quraishi, Shubh Sharma, Amit Kumar, Manishi, Abhinav Sharan, Sushant Mishra, Vikash Singh, Saurabh Shekhar, Rajandeep Singh, and Shubham Singh.
Stellar achievement
Remarkable performance in SMAT 2025/26
Kishan recently had a stellar run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy (SMAT), leading Jharkhand to their maiden title. They beat Haryana in the final, with Kishan scoring a ton. He finished the tournament with an impressive 517 runs from 10 innings at an average of 57.44, including 2 centuries and 2 fifties. He struck at 197.32.
National call-up
Return to Indian team for T20 World Cup
Following his stellar performance in SMAT, Kishan has been recalled to the Indian team for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. He was announced as the second wicketkeeper-batter alongside Sanju Samson. "He bats at the top in white-ball cricket. He's been in good form," chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said while announcing India's squad for the tournament.
Information
Jharkhand drawn in Group A
As mentioned, Jharkhand will take on Karnataka in their first VHT match on December 24. They are in Group A along with Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Tripura, Kerala, and Rajasthan.