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The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has stated that they have not received any official confirmation from Virat Kohli regarding his availability for the second leg of the Ranji Trophy season. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were included in the probable list for the first half of the tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has urged players to take domestic cricket seriously. However, Virat Kohli’s last Ranji Trophy appearance was in 2012, which has drawn criticism from former players like Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan, who have pointed to this gap in his national career.
DDCA opens Virat Kohli’s participation in Ranji Trophy 2024-25
According to a report by news agency ANI, the Delhi and District Cricket Association stated that they have not received any official communication from Virat regarding his availability for the Ranji season.
A DDCA source stated, “We have not received any official indication from Virat Kohli about his availability for the Ranji season.”
The second half of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season will begin on Thursday, January 23, with Delhi scheduled to play Saurashtra in an away match.
Notably, Kohli has been included in the likely squad for the Ranji Trophy in Delhi, but his participation is subject to availability.
Next three names of Virat, Pant and Rana have been added but till last night Virat had not agreed to play.#RanjiTrophy https://t.co/boeWiRPnQu pic.twitter.com/4cXRtoFNIO
— Abhishek Tripathi / Abhishek Tripathi (@abhishereporter) January 14, 2025
Virat Kohli had a challenging Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 campaign
Virat had a tough 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign in Australia. He scored an impressive century in the first Test in Perth, which helped India win by 295 runs, but his form declined as the series progressed. India lost the second Test by 10 wickets, with Australia eventually winning the series 3–1.
Kohli managed just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of just 23.75. After the series defeat, India missed out on a place in the World Test Championship final for the first time. Kohli is expected to return to action in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England, starting February 6 in Nagpur.
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill Show commitment to domestic cricket
The BCCI recently introduced a directive encouraging players to participate in domestic cricket, which has received a positive response, with many players coming forward. However, senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja are yet to feature in the ongoing domestic season.
Rohit Sharma, who is facing criticism over his form and pressure for his place in the team, has shown his commitment by attending Mumbai’s training session ahead of the second half of the Ranji Trophy season. However, it is not yet confirmed whether he will play in the upcoming matches.
Shubman Gill has confirmed his availability for Punjab’s upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka, which is scheduled to start on January 23 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Although the Punjab squad is yet to be officially announced, Gill’s inclusion would be a significant boost to the team.
Read also: Watch: Rohit Sharma partners Ajinkya Rahane in Mumbai’s Ranji squad to save career amid slump
