Twelve years after he last featured in India’s premier domestic first-class tournament, Virat Kohli is set to return to the Ranji Trophy. Kohli confirmed his availability to play in Delhi’s last round of group-phase matches, against Railways, from January 30 to February 2. The development was confirmed to ESPNcricinfo by Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh.
Kohli was a conspicuous absence in the squads for the penultimate round of group-phase matches, starting from January 23, when Delhi play Saurashtra in Rajkot. Both Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja confirmed they would play this match, but Kohli was ruled out after he informed the BCCI medical staff that he was still recovering from neck pain, for which he had taken an injection on January 8, three days after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in Sydney. Several other India players will also feature in the January 23 round of games, including Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
While reviewing India’s recent run of defeats in Test cricket, against New Zealand followed by Australia, the BCCI in coordination with the team leadership group comprising head coach Gautam Gambhir, Test and ODI captain Rohit, and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar laid down various rules including making it mandatory for centrally contracted players to feature in domestic cricket. If not on duty elsewhere, a player can opt out only with prior permission of the selection panel head, the BCCI said.
It could not be confirmed if Kohli has told the Indian team management and Agarkar yet about him playing the January 30 round of Ranji games. If that match goes the distance, finishing on February 2, it would be a mere three days between that and the start of the ODI series against England on February 6. Kohli is part of the India squads for the England series followed by the Champions Trophy, where India play their first match on February 20.
