According to multiple media reports, star Indian batter Virat Kohli is likely to play in the upcoming 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. The country’s top one-day tournament is set to start on December 24, with Delhi placed in Elite Group 'D' and beginning their campaign against Andhra. The BCCI has recently made it mandatory for contracted players to participate in domestic cricket whenever they are not on national duty.
Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) officials have reportedly confirmed that Kohli will play in a few matches for Delhi, though it’s unclear if he will be part of the entire tournament. Kohli retired from T20Is and Test cricket after the 2024 T20 World Cup and ahead of the England tour, respectively. This leaves only ODIs as the active format for the former India captain, who is currently representing the Men in Blue in the ongoing series against South Africa.
What was Virat Kohli’s performance the last time he appeared in the Vijay Hazare Trophy?
In Delhi’s last league match of the 2010 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kohli scored 16 runs off just eight balls against Services at the Tata Energy Research Institute Oval in Gurgaon. On that day, he was one of the five wickets taken by Shadab Nazar. Delhi, captained by Kohli in that game, went on to win comfortably by 113 runs. Kohli is set to play for Delhi again in the upcoming 33rd edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Unlike some players who have switched states in search of better opportunities, Kohli has remained loyal to Delhi throughout his career. Kohli last played for Delhi. As for the last time he represented Delhi in 50-over cricket, it was in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy in 2013 which had India Blue and India Red as the other two participating teams.
In Delhi’s 2009 Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Haryana in Dharamsala, Kohli played a blistering innings, scoring 124 runs off just 82 balls. Coming in after the openers had already put on a century stand, he kept the momentum going with a fast-paced knock that included nine fours and seven sixes. Delhi went on to win the match convincingly by 139 runs. Speaking of Kohli's List A stats, he has scored 16,934 runs in 341 matches and 328 innings with an astonishing average touching 58 and a strike of almost run-a-ball, which is staggering to say the least. Kohli has tallied 83 fifties and 57 tons up until now.
