DDCA confirms Kohli to play upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy

Virat Kohli is set to return to domestic cricket for Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over competition, the DDCA has confirmed.

Kohli, 37, plays only one format now for India - 50-over cricket - and since the BCCI has made it a mandate for contracted India players to feature in domestic cricket, Kohli will represent Delhi when the tournament starts on December 24 in Ahmedabad.

"He will definitely play a few games, but not sure about the entire tournament," DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told ESPNcricinfo. "It will depend upon his India matches too."

Kohli recently struck his 52nd ODI century, against South Africa in Ranchi, and was named the Player of the Match for his knock of 135 that was studded with seven sixes.

Once the last ODI of the ongoing series finishes on December 6 in Visakhapatnam, Kohli will have enough time before the start of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, it is not clear yet if he will play all of Delhi's seven league matches, which will go on till January 8, just three days before the start of the ODI series against New Zealand in Vadodara.

Delhi will play five league matches in Alur, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, and the other two at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli's home ground for his IPL team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Kohli last played 50-over cricket for Delhi in September 2013, in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy which had India Blue and India Red as the other two teams. The last time Kohli played the Vijay Hazare Trophy was in the 2009-10 season. He led Delhi in both those tournaments.

In the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy - the domestic 20-over competition - Delhi have won two of their four games under the leadership of Nitish Rana.