With speculations rife over Virat Kohli’s participation in the Ranji Trophy 2025 season in Delhi, the Delhi & District Cricket Association has given a clear message to the star batter. Another big gun from Delhi, Rishabh Pant, has made his availability for selection, while other cricketers like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also ready to take part. Kohli has been named in Delhi’s provisional squad, but his availability is yet to be confirmed.
The Delhi and District Cricket Association Secretary, Ashok Sharma, has urged the batting ace to take a cue from Mumbai cricketers and be available for the forthcoming Ranji Trophy game against Saurashtra starting on January 23. “The name of Virat Kohli is there in the probables list. Rishabh Pant has said he will be available for the Rajkot match.
Virat should take a cue from Mumbai’s culture, that whenever the Indian team players are free, they show up in Ranji matches regularly. In the North, the culture seems missing in the Delhi team particularly,” Sharma added.
The BCCI too have had their say, recommending that those interested in continuing their Test careers need to play domestic cricket, but so far, Kohli has maintained a silence over the issue. “The BCCI stresses on the need to play domestic cricket. I think Virat should try to play at least one game,” Sharma said.
On the other hand, DDCA President Rohan Jaitley is more aware of the complexities involved. Though a keen admirer of Kohli’s presence in the Ranji Trophy, he points out many other factors. “He should play, but there are many factors involved,” Jaitley said. “With this jam-packed cricket schedule, fitness comes first. So, many other factors, including load management, need to be considered.”
Jaitley concluded by stressing on the importance of domestic tournaments. “Players should, wherever possible, make themselves available for domestic cricket, unless they are on national duty,” he underlined.
