NEW DELHI: The suspense surrounding Virat Kohli‘s availability for Delhi’s upcoming Ranji Trophy matches has ended with the announcement of the team squad, excluding the India star.
Kohli, who has been managing a persistent neck sprain, has been ruled out of the games against Saurashtra (January 23) and Railways (January 30).
As reported earlier by TimesofIndia.com, Kohli has been carrying a niggle in his neck and even received an injection to address the issue. And thus, he will not be playing the upcoming Ranji matches for Delhi.
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A meeting of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee at the DDCA on January 17 finalised the 21-member squad, led by Ayush Badoni.
Delhi Ranji Squad for the next two matches:
Ayush Badoni (C), Sanat Sangwan, Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, Rishabh Pant (w.k), Jonty Sidhu, Himmat Singh, Navdeep Saini, Money Grewal, Harsh Tyagi, Siddhant Sharma, Shivam Sharma, Pranav Rajvanshi (w.k), Vaibhav Kandpal, Mayank Gussain, Gagan Vats, Ayush Doseja, Rounak Waghela, Sumit Mathur, Rahul Gahlot, Jitesh Singh.
In the ongoing Test cricket season, Kohli’s form has been under scrutiny. The batting maestro, once considered invincible, has shown signs of vulnerability outside the off stump.
After a promising century in Perth against the old Kookaburra ball, his performances Down Under declined sharply.
Kohli managed an average of 22.47 in 2024 and only 23.75 across five Tests in Australia, with repeated dismissals on balls outside the fifth or sixth stump. His struggles highlight a potential technical issue that needs addressing, and playing domestic cricket could help him overcome the bad patch.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s Ranji squad shows promise, with Rishabh Pant as the designated wicketkeeper and the likes of Yash Dhull, Navdeep Saini, and Harsh Tyagi forming the core.
