Virat Kohli confirms availability for Ranji Trophy, set to play vs Railways

In a major development, Indian star Virat Kohli has made himself available for Delhi's Ranji trophy clash against Railways, beginning on January 30. Kohli is set to play his first Ranji trophy game in 13 years after last featuring in 2012.

As per a report in PTI, Kohli has communicated his availability to the DDCA. He could not make it to Delhi's squad for the sixth-round clash against Saurashtra, starting January 23 due to a neck sprain. However, he is now available for the last group game against Railways and is set to step on the field in the Ranji trophy for the first time since 2012. 

"Virat has conveyed to DDCA president (Rohan Jaitley) and team management that he is available for the game against Railways," Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh told PTI.

Kohli last played a Ranji trophy game in 2012 against Uttar Pradesh. He made 14 and 43 in the two innings in the clash against UP.

The BCCI has made strict rules for the Indian players after the 1-3 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar series. One among them is mandating domestic cricket for Indian players. 

Participation in Domestic Matches is mandatory for players to remain eligible for selection in



the national team and for central contracts, as per BCCI guidelines. This policy ensures that players remain connected to the domestic cricket ecosystem, fostering talent development, maintaining match fitness, and strengthening the overall domestic structure. It also inspires emerging players by providing them opportunities to compete alongside top cricketers, ensuring continuity in talent progression. 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.

Meanwhile, several other Indian cricketers have also made themselves available for the domestic tournament. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are set to feature in Mumbai's clash against Jammu and Kashmir, while Shubman Gill is available for Punjab's game against Karnataka, while Rishabh Pant is in Delhi's squad for the clash against Saurashtra. 

India batter KL Rahul is not part of the Karnataka Ranji trophy squad for their sixth-round clash against Punjab in Bengaluru, starting from January 23 onwards. Rahul is recovering from an elbow niggle and is out of the squad that will be led by Mayank Agarwal.