Star wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been named the captain of Jharkhand for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26 season. The announcement was made by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association on Monday. The tournament will begin on December 24, and Jharkhand will play their first match against Karnataka in Ahmedabad.
Along with Kishan, the Jharkhand team includes several well-known names. Players like Virat Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Anukul Roy, Robin Minz and Abhinav Sharan are part of the squad. Kumar Kushagra has been named vice-captain and will also share wicketkeeping duties.Kishan will lead the team both as captain and wicketkeeper. The selectors will hope his leadership helps Jharkhand perform well in the one-day tournament.Kishan comes into the Vijay Hazare Trophy after a brilliant run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025/26. He led Jharkhand to their first-ever SMAT title. Kishan was in top form throughout the tournament. He scored 517 runs in 10 matches at an impressive average of 57.44. His performance included two centuries and two half-centuries.His best knock came in the final against Haryana, where he scored a match-winning 101. That innings played a big role in Jharkhand lifting the trophy for the first time.Because of his strong performances in domestic cricket, Kishan has also earned a recall to the Indian team. He has been selected for the T20 World Cup 2026. In the national side, he will be the second-choice wicketkeeper-batter behind Sanju Samson.The Indian team will be led by Suryakumar Yadav in the upcoming World Cup. Shubman Gill has been left out due to fitness and form issues, while Axar Patel has returned as vice-captain.Jharkhand Squad For Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26: Ishan Kishan (WK & captain), Virat Singh, Utkarsh Singh, Kumar Kushagra (WK & vice-captain), Robin Minz, Anukul Roy, Sharandeep Singh, Shikhar Mohan, Pankaj Kumar (WK), Bala Krishna, Md Kounain Quraishi, Shubh Sharma, Amit Kumar, Manishi, Abhinav Sharan, Sushant Mishra, Vikash Singh, Saurabh Shekhar, Rajandeep Singh, Shubham Singh.
