A look at Kohli's last Ranji Trophy match for Delhi
What's the story
Indian cricket star Virat Kohli is all set to make his return to the Ranji Trophy on January 30.
The match against Railways will be his first appearance in the domestic circuit since November 2012.
After discussions with DDCA president Rohan Jaitley, Kohli will play in Delhi's crucial match despite a neck sprain delaying his participation, preparing for national duties.
Previous stint
Kohli's last Ranji Trophy appearance and performance
Kohli's last Ranji Trophy appearance was in 2012, (more than 12 years ago), against Uttar Pradesh (UP) in Ghaziabad, where he managed scores of 14 and 43 in his side's two innings respectively.
Despite a strong second innings spearheaded by Virender Sehwag, Delhi lost by six wickets.
However, this upcoming match gives Kohli a chance to flaunt his skills once again on the domestic stage.
Form check
Kohli's recent form and upcoming challenges
Kohli's recent Test performances have been under the scanner, having scored a mere 190 runs in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Additionally, his weakness outside the off-stump has raised several questions over his current form.
However, this Ranji Trophy outing will give Kohli a chance to regroup and get back his form before the ODI series against England starting February 6.
Moreover, the Ranji Trophy match could serve as a platform for Kohli to regain confidence ahead of these national duties.
Game stats and FC numbers
Kohli's performance in his last Ranji match and FC numbers
As mentioned, in his last outing for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy Kohli managed 14 runs off 19 balls in the first innings (two fours).
In the second innings, he was once again dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 43 runs off 65 balls (seven fours).
As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has played 155 First-Class matches, amassing 11,479 runs across 258 innings. He averages 48.23. Kohli owns 37 tons and 39 fifties.
9, 230 of his runs have come for India.
Domestic return
Other Indian internationals returning to domestic cricket
Kohli's return to domestic cricket comes alongside a few other Indian internationals also playing in the tournament.
Indian Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will play for Mumbai, while Shubman Gill will feature for Punjab.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Jadeja will captain Saurashtra, Mohammed Siraj may play for Hyderabad, and KL Rahul could return for Karnataka on January 30.
The influx of internationals will surely raise the competition level in the Ranji Trophy.