With the T20 World Cup approaching, the BCCI’s priority this year has strictly been T20Is, whereas Tests remain in transition. That shift has limited Kohli and Rohit’s ODI outings, making their return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy all the more special. In their opening matches, Rohit delivered a blistering 155 off 94 balls as Mumbai cruised to an eight-wicket win over Sikkim. Kohli responded with a commanding 131 off 101 balls, powering Delhi past Andhra Pradesh’s 298 in just 37.4 overs. While Rohit struggled with a golden duck in Mumbai’s next game, Kohli extended his purple patch with 77 runs off 61 balls.

However, their comeback has overshadowed other performers – with notable exceptions, such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi, whose rise this year has been remarkable. Ishan Kishan also caught attention after his last-minute inclusion in India’s T20 World Cup squad.

Here are some players whose performances deserve recognition, even if the limelight has largely belonged to Kohli and Rohit:

1. Devdutt Padikkal: While Kohli and Rohit were scoring centuries, Devdutt Padikkal also reached triple figures in a historic run chase. Chasing 413, Padikkal smashed 147 off 118 balls, laying the foundation for Karnataka. His innings, however, went largely unnoticed amid the senior duo’s dominance. Padikkal followed it up with another brilliant century in his next match against Kerala.

2. Rinku Singh: Rinku has been making a case for himself after being picked in the T20 World Cup squad. He has delivered consecutive match-winning performances for Uttar Pradesh. The left-hander began the tournament with a quick 67 off 48 balls and then produced a commanding 106 off 56 balls, including 11 fours and four sixes, to finish the innings. Despite the impact of these knocks, they didn’t receive the attention they deserved.

3.Rishabh Pant: Pant had a quiet start against Andhra, scoring just five runs, but bounced back immediately against Gujarat with a well-timed 70. Even so, his innings was overshadowed by Kohli’s 77 in the same match. It’s not easy to get out of Kohli’s shadows, and Pant is once again witnessing it, but this time in domestic cricket. Pant’s performance highlighted his ability to recover quickly and contribute under pressure, even if the spotlight stayed elsewhere.

Also Read – Virat Kohli misses century but adds layers to his batting in final Vijay Hazare Trophy outing of the season

4. Prithvi Shaw: If there’s a batter eager to catch the eye of the Indian selectors, it’s Prithvi Shaw. Dropped down the pecking order, Shaw needs an exceptional season to regain the attention of Team India’s decision-makers. He has contributed a few valuable innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy – 46 off 39 against Punjab and 51 off 47 against Sikkim. While useful, these scores are unlikely to turn heads, especially with the Indian superstar duo already dominating the tournament. Shaw will need something extraordinary to make a mark.

5. Khan Brothers: Rohit had a forgettable outing against Uttarakhand, falling for a golden duck, yet the spotlight remained firmly on him. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz and Musheer Khan both scored solid half-centuries, 55 each, but their efforts barely made headlines. This highlights a familiar pattern in cricket: when superstars like Kohli and Rohit are playing, even strong contributions from others can go unnoticed. To break through that “superstar wall,” a player often needs a century, and not just any century, but one played in emphatic fashion.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy is proving to be an exciting mix of established stars and emerging talent. While Kohli and Rohit continue to command the headlines, it’s clear there are plenty of players quietly making their mark, reminding fans and selectors alike that domestic cricket is full of stories waiting to be noticed.