New Delhi: Virat Kohli is set to commence training with the Delhi Ranji Trophy team at the Arun Jaitley Stadium starting Tuesday, marking his return to the prestigious domestic first-class tournament after a hiatus of over 12 years.

The 36-year-old was unable to participate in last week's match, where Delhi faced a defeat against Saurashtra due to a minor neck injury. However, he has confirmed his availability for the upcoming home match against Railways, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday, as stated by Ashok Sharma, secretary of the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA). Following India's 1-3 Test series loss in Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has mandated that all national team members participate in Ranji matches.

Currently, Delhi is not in contention for a knockout position in Elite Group D, sitting sixth out of eight teams with one match remaining. Nevertheless, the excitement surrounding the game has surged with Kohli's return, and a large number of fans are anticipated to attend his practice sessions.

Kohli's last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad in November 2012.

India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has declared himself unavailable for the upcoming match. Pant participated in the previous round, where he scored one and 17 runs in a 10-wicket defeat to Saurashtra in Rajkot. He has not provided any explanation for his absence.

India's Test captain Rohit Sharma, who was part of Mumbai's unexpected loss to Jammu and Kashmir last week, along with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer—who are all included in the Champions Trophy squad—will also miss the Elite Group A match against Meghalaya.

In contrast, KL Rahul is anticipated to play in Karnataka's final stage match against Haryana in Bengaluru, while Mohammed Siraj has confirmed his availability for Hyderabad's game against Vidarbha in Nagpur.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed 10 wickets in the victory over Delhi, is set to participate in the home match against Assam. Additionally, Shubman Gill was another standout performer among the Indian players, achieving a second-innings century in Punjab's loss to Karnataka.

The Delhi and District Cricket Association has announced that spectators will be permitted to attend the match, with certain stands being opened to the public.

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