DDCA President Confirms Virat Kohli Will Play Ranji Trophy After 12 Years: Indian star batsman Virat Kohli is set to play his first Ranji Trophy game since 2012 after making himself available for Delhi’s tie against Railways scheduled here on Jan 30.

Due to a neck strain, Kohli was unable to go to Rajkot for Delhi’s forthcoming away encounter against Saurashtra on January 23. However, he has informed the DDCA that he is available for the team’s last league game of the Ranji Trophy.

Read More | Shreyas Iyer will Lead Punjab Kings in IPL 2025: Report

“Virat has conveyed to DDCA president (Rohan Jaitley) and team management that he is available for the game against Railways,” Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh told PTI.

After the series loss in Australia earlier this month, the BCCI has mandated that its contracted cricket players play local cricket unless they have a fitness concern.

Kohli last played a Ranji Trophy match in November 2012 when Delhi took on Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.

Thanks to BCCI’s directive, the last two rounds of Ranji Trophy will be star-studded affairs.

Read More | Champions Trophy 2025: Why Karun Nair Not Picked in India’s Squad

When Rishabh Pant, a colleague of Kohli’s from India and Delhi, enters the field in Rajkot, it will be his first Ranji match in six years. In the Railways game, he was again spotted with Kohli.

India skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed his availability for Mumbai’s home match against Jammu & Kashmir following the selection of the Champions Trophy roster on Saturday.

Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja are among the other Indian talents who will play for their respective teams in the upcoming Ranji Trophy round.

Read More | WPL 2025 Full Schedule: List of Matches, Venue, Teams, Date, & Time

After India lost their second consecutive Test series, there was a growing call for Rohit and company to play red-ball cricket. India lost 1-3 in Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after being blanked 3-0 at home by New Zealand.

In Australia, Rohit and Kohli both enjoyed a memorable series. Due to his dismal record, Rohit chose to sit himself for the final Test match in Sydney. During the series, Kohli was caught in the slip cordon off balls outside the off-stump up to eight times.

Both Rohit and Kohli want to be among the runs going into the Champions Trophy next month, but India’s next Test match is against England in June.

Source

Champions Trophy 2025: Why Karun Nair Not Picked in India’s Squad – Karun Nair, who has been outstanding with his form for Vidarbha in the recent edition of Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was not picked in India’s 15-man Champions Trophy 2025.

Despite his strong results, Nair was passed over by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.

With an extraordinary average of 752 runs without getting dismissed, Nair has been a standout player in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, leading the run-scoring statistics with an incredible 752 runs in just 8 matches.

Read More | MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar Top 3 Highest TAX Paying Indian Cricketers in 2024

His exceptional form and consistency are demonstrated by his five centuries during the contest.

Many anticipated that Nair would return to the Indian team after an 8-year sabbatical, especially after his impressive performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

But other batters on the team were more worthy of a slot, according to the selection committee.

While praising Nair for his outstanding performance, Agarkar emphasized that the chosen batters had merited their spots in the team.

Read More | WPL 2025 Full Schedule: List of Matches, Venue, Teams, Date, & Time

“Averaging 750+ is simply insane, Performances like his don’t happen often. However, with only 15 spots available, we can’t fit everyone,” Agarkar said about Nair at the press conference after announcing India’s squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. “It was difficult to find a place and all those who have been picked have averaged in mid-40s,” he added.

By keeping important players from the 2023 ODI World Cup, India has put together a strong batting lineup for the Champions Trophy 2025. Shubman Gill is anticipated to open with captain Rohit Sharma, while young sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal has received his first ODI call-up for the tournament.

Read More | Shreyas Iyer will Lead Punjab Kings in IPL 2025

Shreyas Iyer is anticipated to finish at number four, while the always reliable Virat Kohli will take his customary position at number three.

The selection problem is to decide between Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul for the wicket-keeper batsman position, which adds an intriguing twist to India’s squad. The acquisition of all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar will improve India’s batting strength, depth, and flexibility.

Source