Delhi they are currently facing Railways in the second last Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025-26 Elite Group D match at KSCA Ground in Alur. led Rishabh pantsDelhi lost the toss and were asked to bowl first by the Railways. But the main talking point of the morning was its absence Virat Kohliwas widely expected to perform in this crucial second group stage encounter.
Reason for Virat Kohli not playing for Delhi in today’s Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 match against Railways
Despite previous approvals DDCA President Rohan Jaitley Delhi technical director who said that Kohli will play three games Saran Deep Singh just before the match confirmed that the star-studded player was unavailable, effectively ending his domestic work for the season.
“Virat is not available. Pant and Harshit will play tomorrow” NDTV Sports channel reported this with reference to the head coach of Delhi.
The main reason for Kohli’s absence is that he has already satisfied BCCI’s mandatory attendance rule. Under the Board’s 2025-26 guidelines, centrally contracted players were required to appear in at least two domestic matches to remain eligible for the national squad. Kohli played decisively in his two overs and made a masterful 131 against Andhra Pradesh and rapid fire 77 vs Gujarat. Proving both his match fitness and hot form, he passed 16,000 List A and the team management decided his quota was complete. with New Zealand As the series approached, the priority shifted from domestic match time to ensuring he was fresh for international duties.
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Kohli’s reign in 2025 ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand
Kohli’s exit from the Railways game is a calculated move to manage his workload. Three-match ODI series against New Zealandin Vadodara from January 11. Both Kohli and Pant are scheduled to travel to Baroda tomorrow, January 7, to interact with the Indian team. While Pant led Delhi today as the final tune-up, Kohli opted for a brief recovery period before entering the high-intensity international bubble. After a dominating star in 2025 South Africa In a series where he smashed two glorious hundreds and a fifty that won him the Player of the Series award, Kohli sees it as a critical step towards the upcoming home season. ODI World Cup 2027prioritizing the peak physical state over the third local appearance.
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 2025-26 Elite Group D fixture at the KSCA Ground in Alur. However, the major talking point has been the absence of Virat Kohli, who was widely expected to feature in this crucial second last group-stage encounter.){kind=link}