Virat Kohli confirms availability for Vijay Hazare Trophy: Details here
What's the story
Indian batting great Virat Kohli has confirmed his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, a 50-over domestic tournament. The Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) confirmed this development on Tuesday. "Yes, that's right. He has given his availability," DDCA president Rohan Jaitley told Cricbuzz. However, it remains uncertain if he will play all matches for Delhi during the tournament period from December 24 to January 18.
Change of heart
Kohli's return to domestic cricket
Kohli's decision to play domestic cricket is a major shift from his previous stance. After the first ODI in Ranchi, he had said, "I've never been a big believer of a lot of preparation, if that makes sense. All my cricket has been mental." These comments were interpreted as resistance against BCCI's directive for international players to make themselves available for domestic competitions. Notably, Kohli scored a brilliant 135 off 120 balls in the Ranchi game, his 52nd ODI ton.
Previous records
Kohli's past performance in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Kohli last played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy during the 2009/10 season. He has played 14 matches in this tournament, scoring 819 runs at an average of 68.25 and a strike rate of 106.08 with four centuries and three fifties to his name. Meanwhile, Team Delhi is placed in Group D with Gujarat, Services, Saurashtra, Odisha, Railways, Haryana, and Andhra this year. Their first match will be against Andhra at Alur.
Policy adherence
BCCI's domestic cricket policy and Kohli's participation
The BCCI's domestic cricket policy, largely influenced by head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, has been pushing international players to make themselves available for their state teams when not on India duty. This was the same policy that saw Rohit Sharma, Kohli, and other internationals play Ranji Trophy games last season. After retiring from Test cricket, it was made clear by Agarkar that Rohit and Kohli would be required to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.