Virat Kohli set to train with Delhi squad: Details here
What's the story
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli is all set to return to the Ranji Trophy after a decade-long break.
He will start training with the Delhi squad on Tuesday (January 28), ahead of their last group match against Railways scheduled at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, from January 30.
This will be Kohli's first appearance in this prestigious domestic tournament since 2012.
Guideline adherence
Participation follows BCCI's guidelines
Kohli's decision to play the next match comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued guidelines for contracted players.
The guidelines released after India's 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy encourages players to play domestic cricket.
Kohli had earlier opted out of Delhi's last match due to a neck injury but has now confirmed his availability.
Training regimen
Kohli's training with former India coach
Ahead of his Ranji Trophy return, Kohli has been spotted training with former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batting coach Sanjay Bangar. The training sessions were held at a facility in Mumbai.
Pictures and videos of their practice have been doing the rounds on social media platforms in the last few days, showcasing Kohli's commitment to his return.
Upcoming fixtures
Kohli's future commitments post Ranji Trophy
Notably, the last round of 2024/25 Ranji Trophy group games ends four days ahead of India's first ODI against England in Nagpur (February 6).
Notably, Kohli is also part of India's ODI squad for the three-match bilateral series, which precedes the ICC Champions Trophy, starting February 19.
All these commitments mean that the cricketer will be busy once he returns to domestic cricket.
FC career
Overview of his First-Class career
Kohli's last Ranji Trophy appearance was in 2012, against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad, where he managed scores of 14 and 43 in his side's two innings respectively.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has played 155 First-Class matches, amassing 11,479 runs across 258 innings at an average of 48.23. His tally includes 37 tons and 39 fifties.
Notably, 9,230 of his runs have come for India in Test cricket.
Information
Kohli eyes this record
As mentioned, Kohli is 21 shy of completing 11,500 runs in First-Class cricket. The star batter is also eyeing the 40,000-run mark across formats in Indian cricket. He has 15,348 List A and 12,886 T20 runs to his name.