Virat Kohli to Play for Delhi in Ranji Trophy Against Railways

Virat Kohli, a prominent Indian cricketer, has confirmed his participation in the Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways, as per the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Kohli's last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was in November 2012 against Uttar Pradesh. He will not play in the match against Saurashtra starting January 23 but will join the team for the Railways match on January 30.

The DDCA source stated, "Virat Kohli has confirmed his participation in the Ranji match against Railways from the Delhi team." Meanwhile, India captain Rohit Sharma and young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal are set to play for Mumbai against Jammu and Kashmir.

Since his last Ranji appearance, Kohli has achieved significant success internationally but has been absent from domestic cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now made it mandatory for international players to participate in domestic matches to be eligible for national selection and central contracts.

In his first-class career, Kohli has scored 11,479 runs in 155 matches, with an average of 48.23, including 37 centuries. His return is expected to boost Delhi's performance, as they currently hold the fourth spot in their group.

Playing domestically could help Kohli regain form after a challenging year, where he scored 417 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 24.52. Across all formats last year, he made 655 runs at an average of 21.83. Kohli concluded the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with 751 runs in 14 matches.