The second phase of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 will begin on 23 January. After Team India’s defeat in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, many questions have been raised about the Indian batters. Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and captain Rohit Sharma were all disappointing throughout the series. Following this, former cricketers advised all Team India players to play domestic cricket. Now, the squad for the Delhi team in the second phase of the Ranji Trophy has been announced, which includes the names of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant.
Delhi’s Secretary Recommends Kohli Play Domestic Cricket
Ashok Sharma, Secretary of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA), cited the example of Mumbai cricketers and suggested that Virat Kohli should also participate in domestic tournaments for Delhi. Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been named in Delhi’s probable team for the remaining two rounds of the Ranji Trophy.
Ashok Sharma stated in an interview with The Indian Express, “Both Virat and Rishabh’s names are in the probable list. The Ranji Trophy camp is going on, and Virat should take inspiration from Mumbai cricketers and play for Delhi whenever he is available. Mumbai has a culture where Indian players participate in Ranji matches whenever available, which Delhi lacks. The BCCI has also urged players to play in domestic cricket. I believe Virat and Rishabh should play at least one match, but I don’t think they will.”
Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been included in the Delhi probable list for the Ranji Trophy 2025 🏆.
Both will make it into the final list depending on their availability 🤝#Cricket #ViratKohli #RishabhPant #India pic.twitter.com/qNCvPfzRsi
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) January 14, 2025
DDCA President Comments on Fitness and Availability
DDCA President Rohan Jaitley also believes that Kohli and Pant, if fit and available, should play in the Ranji Trophy. However, he pointed out other factors influencing the decision. “They should play, but there are several considerations. Given the amount of cricket they play, they must prioritize their fitness,” Jaitley said. He emphasized the importance of domestic tournaments, adding, “Players on national duty, of course, can’t participate, but if not, they should. The NCA and national selectors manage their workload, so there are several factors to consider, but keeping domestic cricket on their priority list is essential.”
🚨 DELHI SQUAD FOR 2ND ROUND IN THIS RANJI TROPHY 2025 🚨
– Virat Kohli & Rishabh Pant in the Squad..!!!! pic.twitter.com/gMcWAUEWj5
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 14, 2025
Virat Kohli’s Ranji Trophy Record
The run machine, Virat Kohli, has played a total of 23 Ranji Trophy matches, with his debut in the 2006-07 season. His first match was against Tamil Nadu, but it was not memorable as he scored just 10 runs. Overall, Kohli has accumulated 1,574 runs in Ranji Trophy with an impressive average of 51, including 5 centuries. His last appearance came in 2012 against Uttar Pradesh, where he scored 14 runs in the first innings and 42 in the second, both times being dismissed by India’s swing sensation, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Delhi’s Probable Squad for the Second Phase of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy
The full squad named by DDCA includes:
Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Harshit Rana, Ayush Badoni, Sanat Sangwan, Gagan Vats, Yash Dhull, Anuj Rawat (wicketkeeper), Jonty Sidhu, Siddhant Sharma, Himmat Singh, Navdeep Saini, Pranav Rajvanshi (wicketkeeper), Sumit Mathur, Mani Grewal, Shivam Sharma, Mayank Gusain, Vaibhav Kandpal, Himanshu Chauhan, Harsh Tyagi, Shivank Vashisht, Prince Yadav, Ayush Singh, Akhil Chaudhary, Hrithik Shaukeen, Lakshya Thareja (wicketkeeper), Ayush Doseja, Arpit Rana, Vikas Solanki, Samarth Seth, Raunak Vaghela, Anirudh Chaudhary, Rahul Gehlot, Bhagwan Singh, Mayank Rawat, Tejaswi Dahiya (wicketkeeper), Parthik, Rahul Dagar, Aryan Rana, Salil Malhotra, and Jitesh Singh.
