New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Ahead of the Champions Trophy, Virat Kohli is set to make a comeback in domestic cricket by playing Ranji Trophy matches. According to sources, Kohli will represent Delhi in their match against Railways, scheduled to begin on January 30. This will mark his first appearance in the Ranji Trophy since 2012 when he last played against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.

Kohli, who is reportedly dealing with a minor neck issue is expected to miss Delhi’s match against Saurashtra from January 23-25 in Rajkot but will be available for the following round. His inclusion comes as part of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) directive for centrally contracted players to participate in domestic tournaments.

Meanwhile, Mumbai has announced its squad for the Ranji Trophy with Rohit Sharma among the players. Other Indian stars such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer are also representing Mumbai while Shubman Gill is set to play for Punjab.

Virat Kohli has been under scrutiny for his recent struggles in the red-ball format. Despite a century in the Perth Test during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 he managed only 190 runs in 9 innings at an average of 23.75. Most of his dismissals came from edging balls on the off-side behind the stumps. His return to domestic cricket is seen as an opportunity to regain form ahead of key international assignments.

With this move, Kohli joins the list of India’s top players taking part in domestic cricket to prepare for upcoming challenges. Fans eagerly await his performance in the Ranji Trophy hoping for a strong comeback from the star batter.

The Uttam Hindu

The Uttam Hindu

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