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There is an old saying that ‘One man’s loss is another man’s opportunity’. Just like that, the Indian cricket team’s loss in the BGT 2024-25 is the Delhi and District Cricket Association’s (DDCA) opportunity. After the Indian team’s humiliating loss against Australia in a recently concluded test series, the BCCI has taken a few major steps, including a compulsory availability of all the players in domestic matches. Now, a former Indian skipper and star batter Virat Kohli is set to play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy 2025 7th round game against Railways, starting from January 30. It will be his first appearance in the tournament after November 2012.
Virat Kohli Set To Feature In Ranji Trophy 2025
After the disappointing performances by the Indian Cricket Team, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) had a review meeting, discussing a few major concerns regarding the team’s poor run in the last few months. The board has decided to take some tough calls and set a new guideline for the players.
In a new guideline, all the players have to travel with the team and no player can use private means to travel. The players are also restricted from taking their wives and girlfriends along on a big tour. If the tour is 45+ days long, only 2 weeks will be given to the family.
There are a few more points in the new guideline, but one of the major decisions taken by the board is making domestic cricket participation compulsory for all the players. Now, Virat Kohli will play in the Ranji Trophy 2025 for Delhi in the 7th round against Railways.
It will be the first time in 12 years that Virat Kohli will feature in the Ranji Trophy. He played in the tournament last time in the 2012/13 season against Uttar Pradesh (UP) at Ghaziabad. A young Virat Kohli scored 14 and 43 in that game. Delhi lost that game by 6 wickets. He only played one Ranji game after his test debut in 2011.
Virat Will Miss The 6th Round Due To Stiff Neck
First, there are reports that Virat Kohli will feature in the 6th round of the Ranji Trophy 2025 against Saurashtra in Rajkot. But, a new development says the star batter is facing some issues in his neck. That’s why, he will miss the game against Saurashtra, starting on January 23rd.
The BCCI sent a note to all the contracted players last Thursday, mandating the availability in domestic cricket. In a note, the BCCI stated that – “Participation in domestic matches is mandatory for players to remain eligible for selection in the national team and for central contracts. 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.”
A Big Boost For The Delhi Ranji Team
Virat Kohli playing for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy is a big boost. A star player like him will motivate the youngsters to perform better in front of their star players. It will also help in the mentorship and development of less experienced players as a big player can share their experience and understanding of the game.
Along with Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant will also feature for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy 2025. It will help in the team’s performance as we all know how skillful these two players are. Also, the inclusion of high-profile players attracts media attention and boosts spectator interest, enhancing the team’s visibility.
A Good Game Time For Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is finding his form in red-ball cricket. He hasn’t made a huge impact in red-ball cricket for Team India for a while. In a recent home season against Bangladesh (BAN) and New Zealand (NZ), he hasn’t scored enough runs to make an impact in the games. India lost a home series for the first time in 12 years, and clean-swept for the first time (in a 3+ match series) ever in the history against NZ. Virat hasn’t found ways to score runs against the NZ spinners on those turning tracks.
Now, it will be good for him to have a good game time in the Ranji Trophy. He can find his groove back and if he scores runs, his confidence will get a boost.
A Crucial Next Two Fixtures Are Coming Up For Delhi
After five rounds that concluded in mid-November, Delhi is currently ranked fourth in Group D, behind Railways, Tamil Nadu, and Chandigarh. With Tamil Nadu playing Chandigarh in the sixth round, Delhi’s match versus Railways will be even more crucial if they win or earn three points against Saurashtra. A victory will advance them to the quarterfinals.
Conclusion
So this is the latest development regarding Virat’s availability in the Ranji fixture. Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh has confirmed Virat’s availability in a fixture against Railways. Not just Virat, other star players like Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, etc will also play in Ranji Trophy 2025 for their respective states.
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FAQs:-
(1) How many runs has Virat Kohli scored in the Ranji Trophy?
In 23 Ranji games, Virat has scored 1574 runs with an average of 50.77. He has 5 hundred to his name in the tournament.
(2) When did Virat make his First-Class (FC debut)?
He made his FC debut in the 2006-07 Ranji season, against Tamil Nadu. The right-handed batter only managed to score 10 runs in that game.
