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RCB's new signing Venkatesh Iyer to lead Madhya Pradesh in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

Sakshi Sharma

Venkatesh Iyer replaces Rajat Patidar (Source: @RCBTweets,x.com)Venkatesh Iyer replaces Rajat Patidar (Source: @RCBTweets,x.com)

In a significant development, the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) has named Venkatesh Iyer as the captain for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which will take place in Ahmedabad from December 24, 2025, to January 8, 2026 (league stage).

The recent Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) recruit will want to bring his experience and leadership to Madhya Pradesh in the much-highlighted tournament. He joined the defending champions for INR 7 crore in the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Rajat Patidar’s surprising absence

However, the one of the names that was missing from the Madhya Pradesh squad was RCB captain Rajat Patidar. He captained Madhya Pradesh in both the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), and was recently cleared by the BCCI Centre of Excellence to return to competitive cricket after recovering from a knee injury.

Despite this, Patidar has not been named the captain for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, the exact reason why Patidar has not been named captain for the VHT remains unclear.

The Madhya Pradesh 16-member squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 features several notable players, including Kumar Kartikeya, Yash Dubey, and Mangesh Yadav, all of whom were recent IPL 2026 auction picks. 

Himanshu Mantri will serve as the wicketkeeper for the team, while other squad members include Harpreet Singh, Shivang Kumar, and Madhav Tiwari.

The upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 will also be in the spotlight, as it features India's top stars such as Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Prasidh Krishna.

Madhya Pradesh squad for VHT 2025 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).