After a 15-year absence, Virat Kohli is preparing to return to domestic cricket in India’s prestigious Vijay Hazare Trophy. Representing Delhi, the 50-over competition begins on 24 December, marking Kohli’s first appearance in the tournament since the 2009–10 season. The DDCA has officially confirmed the star player’s participation.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has maintained that any player aiming to represent the national team must remain active in domestic cricket. Reports suggest that Rohit Sharma had already expressed interest in playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to the BCCI selection committee. Initially, Kohli was hesitant to join the domestic competition, citing personal reasons.
Sources told NDTV: “The problem is specific to the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Kohli simply does not wish to participate. But if Rohit wants to play, should one player get a special exception? How will this be perceived by other players? Consistency is key.”
Currently 37, Kohli plays exclusively in ODIs for India. The BCCI has made it compulsory for contracted players to participate in domestic cricket. DDCA Secretary Ashok Sharma stated, “He will play in some matches for sure, but whether he plays the entire tournament will depend on India’s match schedule.”
Kohli last featured in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the 2009–10 season before India’s home ODI series against South Africa, playing his final match on 18 February 2010. Across 14 matches, he has scored four centuries and three fifties, averaging 68.25 at a strike rate of 106.08.
Delhi has been grouped in the ‘D’ section with Gujarat, Services, Saurashtra, Odisha, Railways, Haryana, and Andhra. Their first clash is against Andhra on 24 December. With the South Africa ODI series ending on 6 December, Kohli will have sufficient time to gear up for domestic action. His last 50-over outing for Delhi was in the 2013 NKP Salve Challenger Trophy.