Delhi will be without Virat Kohli for their Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 match against Railways on January 6 in Alur, despite earlier confirmation that he would play.
DDCA president Rohan Jaitley had said Kohli would feature in this sixth-round league game. However, the former India captain is now unavailable, with no official reason given by the team management.
It is understood that Kohli is preparing to link up with India’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand, which begins on January 11. With the international assignment close, the focus has shifted back to national duty.
The BCCI mandates that centrally contracted players must play at least two domestic matches when they are not on international duty. Kohli has already completed this requirement during the current Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The star batter made a strong impact in his brief domestic stint. He scored a fluent century in Delhi’s opening match and followed it up with 77 runs in the second game. Kohli was named Player of the Match for his second-round performance.
While Kohli will miss this fixture, Rishabh Pant is expected to turn out for Delhi against Railways. Pant, who is also part of the ODI squad, is likely to play this match before leaving to join the national camp.
Pant’s presence will be a boost for Delhi, especially with Kohli absent from the middle order. The wicketkeeper-batter is using the domestic games to get more match time ahead of the international series.
Both Kohli and Pant will next be seen in India colours when the ODI series against New Zealand gets underway later this week. The series is an important one as India continue preparations for future ICC events.