Virat Kohli is set to play his first Ranji Trophy match since 2012, as he has made himself available for Delhi’s game against Railways, which will take place from January 30.
Kohli won’t be playing in Delhi’s away match against Saurashtra, starting on January 23, because of a neck sprain. However, he has informed the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) that he is ready to play in the last league match of the Ranji Trophy.
Delhi’s head coach, Sarandeep Singh, confirmed this, saying, “Virat has told DDCA president Rohan Jaitley and the team management that he is available for the match against Railways.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it mandatory for its contracted players to play in domestic cricket unless they have a fitness issue, following India’s series loss in Australia earlier this month.
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Kohli’s last Ranji Trophy match was in November 2012, when Delhi played Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.
Thanks to the BCCI’s new rule, the final rounds of the Ranji Trophy will feature big names. Kohli’s teammate, Rishabh Pant, will play his first Ranji match in six years when Delhi faces Saurashtra. He could also play alongside Kohli in the game against Railways.
After the Champions Trophy squad announcement on Saturday, India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, confirmed that he will be available for Mumbai’s match against Jammu and Kashmir. Other India stars like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja will also play in the next round of the Ranji Trophy for their teams.
There has been growing pressure for Rohit and other top players to play in domestic red-ball cricket after India’s recent losses in Test series. After being defeated 3-0 by New Zealand at home, India also lost 1-3 to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Both Rohit and Kohli struggled in Australia. While Rohit sat out the final Test in Sydney due to poor form, Kohli was caught eight times in the slip cordon off balls outside the off-stump.
India’s next Test series is against England in June, and both Rohit and Kohli will want to be in good form heading into the Champions Trophy next month.