New Delhi: Star Indian batter Virat Kohli began training with the Delhi team on Tuesday as he prepares for his highly-anticipated Ranji Trophy comeback after a 12-year hiatus. The 36-year-old will play against Railways starting January 30, marking his return to the premier domestic tournament. Kohli last featured in the Ranji Trophy in 2012 during a match against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.
He arrived at the Arun Jaitley Stadium at 9 a.m. sharp and joined his teammates for a team huddle and warm-up exercises. Kohli then spent about 15 minutes playing football with his teammates, appearing relaxed and at ease in their company. For most of his teammates, this is their first time sharing a dressing room with the cricketing superstar, and their excitement was evident.
The training session was overseen by Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh.
Several high-profile players, including ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma, have recently turned out for their Ranji teams following a disappointing Test tour of Australia. This shift comes after a directive from the BCCI urging players to prioritise domestic cricket whenever their international schedules permit.
While Rohit (Mumbai) and Rishabh Pant (Delhi) had underwhelming performances for their respective teams, Ravindra Jadeja shone with a 12-wicket haul for Saurashtra, and Shubman Gill scored a century for Punjab, albeit in a losing cause.
However, Pant, Rohit, and Yashasvi Jaiswal (Mumbai) will not feature in the upcoming Ranji matches as they prepare for the ODI series against England, which begins on February 6 in Nagpur. Meanwhile, KL Rahul is set to represent Karnataka in the tournament.
Comment List