In a late twist that caught Delhi fans off guard, Virat Kohli will not feature in Delhi’s Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Railways on Tuesday, January 6 in Bengaluru. Despite strong expectations for one final performance, the star batsman was declared unavailable just before the match. Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh confirmed the decision and clearly stated that Kohli would not participate as the team aims to keep a grip on Group D.
Delhi hit by Kohli absence at crucial stage
Kohli’s absence means Delhi’s biggest match-winner disappears at a crucial stage of the group stage. The decision also signals a complete shift in focus to international duties India vs New Zealand ODI series starts on January 11. Delhi now faces Railways without their most experienced batsman, increasing pressure on the middle order to perform in a must-win scenario. For fans, it closes the door on a rare domestic cameo that had already delivered fireworks.
Kohli complies with the BCCI rule and breaks a major record
As per BCCI guidelines, centrally contracted players must play at least two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, a requirement that Kohli already met earlier in the tournament. Playing against Andhra and Gujarat, he scored 131 and 77 to give Delhi back-to-back wins. During that run, Virat Kohli also became the fastest player to reach 16,000 List A runs, reaching the milestone in just 330 innings, faster than Sachin Tendulkars 391. DDCA President Rohan Jaitley had earlier indicated that Kohli would play the railway match, adding to the surprise surrounding his withdrawal.
Focus shifts to New Zealand ODI series
Kohli will now join the Indian squad ahead of the New Zealand series and is coming off solid white-ball form after scoring 302 runs against South Africa last year. Delhi, meanwhile, has to weather the railway dispute without their talisman. With Rohit Sharma also completing his domestic commitments for Mumbai, India’s senior batsmen have officially completed their local season. The eyes now shift to the ODI stage, where Kohlis bat takes center stage again.
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