Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma faced significant criticism following their poor performances in Test cricket over the past year. In response to the backlash and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making domestic cricket a prerequisite for selection, the Indian captain has made himself available for Mumbai's upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir. In contrast, Kohli has chosen to withdraw from Delhi's forthcoming red-ball fixture against Saurashtra, citing a neck injury. Consequently, the Delhi selection committee is uncertain about Kohli's participation in the final group match against Railways.

The latter part of the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy season is set to commence on January 23. Amid ongoing criticism regarding Kohli's absence from domestic cricket since 2012, the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) has included the former Indian captain in the list of probables for Delhi's last two group matches.

However, the 36-year-old has opted out of the Saurashtra match, with a senior DDCA official informing the news agency PTI that the selectors remain uncertain about Kohli's availability for the home match against Railways, which begins on January 31. Reports indicate that Kohli is dealing with a neck issue.

"Kohli has been advised to rest due to a neck sprain sustained during the final Test against Australia in Sydney. He will not participate in the Saurashtra match. Regarding the Railways game, which is also Delhi's last league match, we are still uncertain," stated the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Pant to play for Delhi; KL Rahul out

Following the BCCI's mandate for participation in domestic cricket, only two prominent Indian players are expected to miss their respective Ranji Trophy matches: Virat Kohli for Delhi and KL Rahul for Karnataka, both sidelined due to an elbow issue. In contrast, several other notable players have confirmed their availability, including Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai vs J&K), Rishabh Pant (Delhi vs Saurashtra), and Shubman Gill (Punjab vs Karnataka).

In a departure from previous reports, it has been clarified that Ayush Badoni will continue to captain the Delhi team, rather than Rishabh Pant. This decision was made after Pant communicated to DDCA president Jaitley that he preferred not to alter the leadership for a single match, especially since his Lucknow Super Giants teammate is performing well. He emphasized the importance of maintaining continuity in leadership.

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