In a significant development for domestic cricket, veteran Indian batsman Virat Kohli will be donning the Delhi jersey for the forthcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. The DDCA president has officially confirmed Kohli’s participation, indicating his availability for a minimum of three fixtures. This decision aligns with the BCCI’s directive urging prominent cricketers to engage in domestic competitions. Kohli boasts an exceptional record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, having played 12 games and accumulated 763 runs at an average of 69.33. His 2008-09 campaign was particularly dominant, yielding 534 runs in seven matches, topping the run charts with four centuries and a personal best of 124. The following season, he added 229 runs in five outings. These early domestic successes were a stepping stone to his illustrious international ODI career, marked by the 2011 World Cup triumph and a captain’s run to the 2019 World Cup semi-finals. Following the disappointment of the 2023 World Cup final, Kohli’s re-entry into domestic action signals a continued ambition for national representation, with the 2027 ODI World Cup a potential long-term goal.
