Just days after the BCCI issued new guidelines for its contracted players, which made participation in domestic tournaments a must, Virat Kohli has made himself available for Delhi’s last Ranji Trophy league match against Railways. Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley said that Kohli has confirmed his availability for the match to be played in the capital from January 30. If the former India skipper plays the match, it will be his first Ranji Trophy appearance since November 2012.
🚨 VIRAT KOHLI SEALED FOR RANJI. 🚨
– Kohli has confirmed his participation for the Ranji Trophy match against Railways from 30th January. (Vipul Kashyup/ANI). pic.twitter.com/hJHKPmO43w
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 20, 2025
After back-to-back Test series defeats at the hands of New Zealand at home and away in Australia, there have been questions from several quarters over the continued reluctance of India regulars to feature in domestic first-class matches. Ahead of the Test season, the likes of Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja chose to skip the Duleep Trophy. And in the review meeting held last Thursday, requiring players featuring in domestic tournaments was the top recommendation. Subsequently, Rohit, Jadeja, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill made themselves available for the sixth round of Ranji fixtures that begin on Thursday.
However, there was no clarity as to whether Kohli will play against Saurashtra in Rajkot this week, a must-win fixture for Delhi. However, the 36-year-old is a certainty to play the seventh and final match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. “As far as I know, Kohli is available for the game against Railways,” Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh said.
Since becoming a regular in the Test side, Kohli hasn’t featured in a single Ranji fixture for Delhi. His last appearance came in the 2012/13 season -against Uttar Pradesh at Ghaziabad-just before the Test series against England, which was the last time India had lost a Test series at home before New Zealand humbled them 0-3 in November. That match in which Kohli scored 14 & 43 in a defeat remains his only Ranji appearance since his Test debut in 2011.
BCCI’s Note To Players
Last Thursday, in a note sent to all contracted players, the BCCI had stated: “Participation in domestic matches is mandatory for players to remain eligible for selection in the national team and for central contracts. Any exceptions to this mandate will be considered only under extraordinary circumstances and will require formal notification and approval from the Chairman of the Selection Committee, ensuring fairness and transparency in the process.”
For Delhi, the availability of Pant and Kohli will be a huge boost as the race for knockout spots heats up. After five rounds which ended mid-November, Delhi are fourth in Group D with Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh and Railways above them. With Tamil Nadu playing Chandigarh in the sixth round, if Delhi manage to get three points or a win against Saurashtra, their match against Railways will become all the more important as a win will take them to the quarterfinals.
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