Former India captain Virat Kohli was spotted at Mumbai airport on Monday as he prepared to return to domestic cricket. Kohli is set to play for Delhi in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, which begins on Dec. 24. The Delhi and District Cricket Association confirmed that Rishabh Pant will captain the side in the tournament. Kohli has been named in the squad for the first two matches.
Delhi’s squad also includes experienced pacers Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini. Both players have confirmed their availability. Fast bowler Harshit Rana is currently with the India T20I squad and will join the team once released.
Delhi have been placed in Group D. The team will play seven matches in the league stage. Their campaign will run until Jan. 8.
The return of senior players to domestic tournaments follows a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The board has encouraged international cricketers to feature regularly in domestic competitions to remain match-ready. These tournaments include the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Kohli enters the tournament in strong ODI form. He finished the year as India’s leading run scorer in the format. He scored 651 runs in 13 matches at an average of 65.10. His tally included three centuries and four half-centuries. He maintained a strike rate close to 96.
The resurgence began during the ODI series in Australia. Kohli responded after two consecutive ducks with an unbeaten 74 in Sydney. The knock helped him regain momentum.
He carried that form into the home series against South Africa. Kohli scored 135 in Ranchi and 102 in Raipur in the first two ODIs. He then sealed the series with an unbeaten 65 while chasing 271 in Visakhapatnam.
