DDCA president Rohan Jaitley has confirmed that Virat Kohli will be welcomed back to Delhi whenever his international schedule and workload allow.
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Virat Kohli remains welcome to play domestic cricket for Delhi(Photo: IANS)
Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley has made it clear that Virat Kohli is always welcome to play for his home stateJaitley said that if Kohli can balance his international schedule and workload, he will definitely turn out for Delhi in domestic cricket this season.
Kohli had made a strong return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy last yearHe scored a brilliant 131 off 101 balls for Delhi in a successful chase against AndhraThe innings showed that the senior batter is still keen to play domestic matches whenever possible.
Jaitley’s clear message on Kohli’s availability
Speaking to India Today, Jaitley left no doubt about the association’s stand“This is his home associationThere is no question of us being openThis state is as much his as it belongs to meAnd his commitment to play for the state is impeccable,” Jaitley said.
“Whenever available, keeping his international commitments and workload management in mind, he definitely and certainly will play for the state again,” he further added.
Busy international calendar ahead
Kohli is set to return to international action soonHe will play the three-match ODI series against West Indies starting September 27After that, he will travel to New Zealand for a five-match ODI series in NovemberIndia will then host Sri Lanka for three ODIs in December.
The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026-27 begins on December 14Since it overlaps with the Sri Lanka series (December 13-19), it looks unlikely that Kohli will be available for the domestic one-day tournament this time.
Past domestic appearances
Last year, Kohli had played Ranji Trophy for Delhi after a gap of 13 years, just months before he retired from Test cricketHe later featured in two Vijay Hazare Trophy games as wellThe BCCI wants contracted players to take part in domestic cricket whenever their schedule allows, and DDCA officials had confirmed that Kohli was in line for more white-ball games for the state.
Jaitley’s comments show that Delhi remains ready to welcome its biggest star whenever he finds a window in his packed calendarFans will hope that workload management allows Kohli to wear the Delhi jersey again this season.
