After Virat Kohli, another Team India star confirms participation in Vijay Hazare Trophy
After Virat Kohli, another Team India star has informed the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) that he will be playing matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26.
After former India captain Virat Kohli, Team India star Rishabh Pant has also reportedly confirmed his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. As per a report in ANI, Pant has informed the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) that he will be playing in the tournament for Delhi this season.
Pant was a regular for Delhi in the domestic circuit before making his international debut for India in 2018. He made his List A debut for Delhi in 2015 and last featured for the team in 2018. Pant has played 19 List A matches for Delhi and has 531 runs to his name at a strike rate of 109.48, including one century and two half-centuries.
Pant is currently not the first-choice wicket-keeper batter for India in ODIs as the team management is preferring KL Rahul for the role. The swashbuckling left-hander is part of India's squad for the ongoing ODI series against South Africa at home, but has been reduced to the bench in the first two matches, with Rahul leading the side and keeping wickets.
Pant has so far played 31 ODIs for India and has 871 runs in the format at an average of 33.50, including one century and five half-centuries. Pant will be hoping to win back his place in India's playing XI by performing well for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, India's premier domestic one-day tournament.
Virat Kohli to play Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi
Meanwhile, Team India superstar Kohli has also confirmed his availability for Delhi in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy amid BCCI's diktat for the players to play domestic cricket when not on national duty. Kohli plays only one format for India, having retired from both Tests and T20Is, and thus, he has reportedly been asked to play domestic cricket.
Kohli is expected to play at least two of Delhi's group-stage matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. He last featured in the tournament in 2010, when he scored 229 runs in five matches for Delhi at an average of 45.80, including two fifties. Delhi's group-stage matches will conclude by January 08, three days before the first ODI between India and New Zealand on January 11.
In January this year, Kohli played a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. He made his first appearance for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy since 2012.