Virat Kohli Confirms Availability for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Jeetbuzz168 live DDCA president Rohan Jaitley confirmed to Sportstar that the Indian superstar will play for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Virat Kohli on Tuesday informed the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) that he is available for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.
"He has confirmed his availability to us, and we look forward to him playing for Delhi," DDCA president Rohan Jaitley confirmed to Sportstar.
Kohli's Commitment and the Upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy
Contrary to earlier speculations that the former India captain may skip the tournament, beginning on December 24, Kohli called up the State body officials and made it clear that he would be available for the group stage. The premier domestic 50-over competition will commence on December 24, and Delhi will begin its campaign on the opening day against Andhra Pradesh in Alur.
However, it needs to be seen whether he plays all the seven group fixtures, or decides to pick and choose keeping the workload in mind. India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand will begin on January 11, and with Virat set to feature in the series, he is likely to join the Indian camp a couple of days prior. Keeping that in mind, there is a possibility that he could make himself available for four to five games, even though sources indicated that no decision has been taken yet.
Delhi’s Group and Kohli’s Impact on the Team
Delhi is in a tricky group, along with Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Saurashtra, Odisha, Services, Railways, and Haryana, and the presence of Virat, who last played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2010, will be a huge boost to the team.
Since January this year, BCCI has instructed all its players to feature in domestic cricket in order to be eligible for international assignments, and earlier this year, Virat and Rohit Sharma both featured in a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai and Delhi respectively.
Now, with both wanting to continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup, they need to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy on a regular basis. While Virat is confirmed to feature in the tournament, Rohit, too, is set to turn up for Mumbai, even though a formal word is awaited.
