Kohli, Pant Ready to play Ranji Trophy for Delhi?

Star India batter Virat Kohli has been named in Delhi’s list of probables for the upcoming Ranji Trophy tournament as a part of 2024-25 domestic cricket season.

The premier domestic red-ball tournament in Indian cricket starts from October 11. Delhi will be playing Chhattisgarh in their Elite Plate Group D match on the same date.

The list of probables also includes international/Indian Premier League (IPL) stars Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini, Ayush Badoni, Anuj Rawat, Yash Dhull, among others.

Pant recently featured in the Duleep Trophy ahead of the India’s home series against Bangladesh.

In the first Chennai Test against Bangladesh, Pant scored a magnificent century and returned to Test side with a bang.

A letter from Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) announcing the list of 84-probables said, “At the Senior Men’s Selection Committee meeting held today, 24th September 2024, at 5:30 PM at the DDCA, the following individuals were in attendance: Gursharan Singh (Chairperson), K Bhaskar Pillai (Selector), Rajeev Vinaik (Selector), Sarandeep Singh (Chief Coach and Rajan Manchanda (Joint Secretary).”

“The committee has selected the following probables for consideration in the Delhi Men’s Senior Squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy tournament in the 2024-25 domestic season. A fitness test for the selected players will take place on September 26 2024, with the venue details to be communicated by the team manager.”

The letter also said that players on international duty are exempted from fitness test.

“Furthermore, players under 23 years of age, if not selected for the Ranji Trophy squad, will be permitted to attend trials for the Under-23 category. The selectors will have the final say on the placement of players in the respective categories,” added the letter.

Virat’s last appearance in Ranji was back in November 2012 against Uttar Pradesh, in which he was dismissed for 14 and 42 runs in both innings by pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. In 146 first-class matches, Virat has scored 11,120 runs at an average of 49.86, with 36 centuries and 38 fifties and a best score of 254*.

This Ranji Trophy fixture on October 11 takes place ahead of first Test between India and New Zealand in Bengaluru from October 16 onwards and could offer Virat some much needed game time in home conditions as he struggles to gain form this year.

In both innings of the first Test against Bangladesh, Kohli delivered poor scores of 6 and 17. While in the first innings, he chased an outside off stump delivery by Hasan Mahmud, in the second innings, he fell victim to a wrong leg-before-wicket decision. Having chosen not to review it, the Ultraedge discovered the bat making contact with the ball, which would have ruled Virat not out had he opted for a review.

Virat is having a poor run of form across all formats this year. In 15 matches and 17 innings this year, he has scored just 319 runs at a sub-par average of 18.76, with just one half-century to his name and a best score of 76 made during the T20 World Cup final against South Africa.

Now, in Tests, Virat’s average is at an eight year low. In 114 Tests, he has scored 8,871 runs in 193 innings at an average of 48.74, with 29 centuries and 30 fifties. The last time his average was lower than this was during November 2016, when he averaged 48.28.

The period of 2020s has not been kind to Virat in white colours. In 30 Tests played since the start of 2020, he has scored just 1,669 runs at an average of just 32.72, with just two centuries and eight fifties in 52 innings. His best score is 186.

In five Tests and eight innings during the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle, Virat has scored 392 runs at an average of 49.00, with a century and two fifties.

His best score is 121. In order to secure their maiden WTC title, India would no doubt need Virat to fire in coming matches against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia, which will determine if they will make the hat-trick of WTC finals, having lost to NZ and Australia so far in the title clash.