Virat Kohli has the will to continue playing Test cricket for the India cricket team. Dwindling returns over the last couple of years and a rare bad series in Australia won’t mean that Kohli will retire from red-ball cricket. The former skipper hasn’t said anything about his Test desires with the England tour being the next challenge posed, but his Ranji Trophy return has given us a peek into the former Indian captain’s mindset.
Kohli to continue playing Ranji Trophy
Delhi’s head coach, Sarandeep Singh, has revealed that Kohli wishes to represent his state in the coming years. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a mandate that highlighted the value that must be given to domestic cricket, and Kohli will show commitment to Delhi going forward.
“There is a definite commitment. Whenever he will get an opportunity, he said he will definitely come,” Sarandeep Singh told the Hindustan Times.
The former spinner understands that Kohli doesn’t have time due to the jam-packed international schedule, and even though the batter has retired from T20Is, he continues to play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He needs time to rest and recover, and therefore it can’t be certain that he plays for Delhi.
“He loves and wants to play domestic cricket, but because he plays all three formats (retired from T20Is but plays IPL) in international cricket, it is busy and hectic. The domestic season also coincides with the international schedule, and sometimes he also needs rest,” he said.
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Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy stats
| Season | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006/07 | 6 | 257 | 36.71 | 0 |
| 2007/08 | 5 | 373 | 53.28 | 2 |
| 2008/09 | 4 | 174 | 34.8 | 0 |
| 2009/10 | 3 | 374 | 93.5 | 1 |
| 2010/11 | 4 | 339 | 56.5 | 2 |
| 2012/13 | 1 | 57 | 28.5 | 0 |
| 2024/25 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 24 | 1580 | 49.37 | 5 |
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