Virat Kohli is set to play a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi after more than 12 years. The former India captain has been included in Delhi’s squad for the last group-stage match against Railways. The Elite Group D match of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season will be held at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from January 30 to February 2.
According to a report, Kohli was offered the Delhi captaincy but declined the role. Instead, he will play under the leadership of Ayush Badoni. The decision mirrors wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s stance, as he also turned down the captaincy in Delhi’s previous match against Saurashtra.
Ayush Badoni, who represents Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL and was retained for ₹4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, is leading the Delhi Ranji team. Under his captaincy, Delhi suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat against Saurashtra within two days in Rajkot.
Virat Kohli last played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi in 2012 against Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of his much-anticipated return, he trained with the Delhi squad at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday. Pictures and videos of his training session have been widely shared on social media.
