Indian cricket superstar Virat Kohli is set to make his long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy after more than a decade. Kohli, who last played in the competition in 2012, has confirmed his availability for Delhi’s final league match of the season against Railways, scheduled to take place on January 30. Kohli had to miss Delhi’s upcoming away clash with Saurashtra, starting January 23, due to a neck sprain, but has assured the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) that he is ready to feature in the Railways match.
“Virat has informed DDCA president Rohan Jaitley and the team management that he is available for the game against Railways,” Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh told PTI. This comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it mandatory for contracted cricketers to play domestic cricket unless facing fitness issues, following India’s recent series loss in Australia. Kohli last played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi in November 2012, when they faced Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.
Thanks to the BCCI’s directive, the final rounds of the Ranji Trophy are expected to be star-studded. Kohli’s teammate and India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will also play his first Ranji match in six years, as he joins Delhi for the away game in Rajkot. Both Kohli and Pant could potentially be seen playing together in the Railways game. Additionally, India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed his availability for Mumbai’s match against Jammu and Kashmir.
Other prominent Indian cricketers, including Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, are also set to feature in the next round of the tournament, as they return to domestic action for their respective sides. The push for top Indian cricketers to play red-ball cricket increased following India’s back-to-back Test series losses, first to New Zealand (3-0) and then the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia (1-3). Both Kohli and Rohit faced disappointing performances during the Australia series, with Kohli struggling particularly with balls outside the off-stump. India will next face England in a Test in June, and both Rohit and Kohli are eager to find form ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy.
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