Virat Kohli is ready to play domestic cricket again. He will play for Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy. After playing mostly international matches and in franchise leagues, Kohli’s return will help Delhi’s team.
Tournament Details
The Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is India’s main 50-over domestic cricket tournament, will start on December 24, 2025, in Ahmedabad. The first match will be between Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. Delhi will play seven matches in the group stage, ending on January 8, 2026. Five of these matches will be in Alur near Bengaluru, and two will be at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is also where Kohli’s IPL team, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, plays. It is not yet known if Kohli will play in all the matches because India has an ODI series against New Zealand starting on January 11 in Vadodara.
Background and Confirmation
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) got a clear answer from Kohli through their president Rohan Jaitley, stopping all guesses about whether Kohli will play in the domestic 50-over tournament. This is Kohli’s first time playing in this tournament again after 15 years. He last played in 2009–10 when he was the captain of Delhi. His most recent 50-over game for Delhi was in 2013.
Virat Kohli stats in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Virat Kohli has participated in the Vijay Hazare Trophy across limited seasons, primarily in 2008-09 and 2009-10.
| Matches | 12 |
| Runs | 763 |
| Average | 69.36 |
| Highest score | 124 |
| Centuries | 4 |
This decision follows BCCI’s rule that contracted players must play domestic cricket. Now, Kohli is concentrating only on ODIs for India, preparing for the 2027 World Cup.
