• Source:JND

Virat Kohli will soon be in action again as he gears up for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is scheduled to start on Wednesday, December 24. Kohli, who has been included in Delhi's squad, is all set to make his return to domestic cricket and will be playing the initial games in the 50-over competition.

Virat was spotted at the Mumbai airport on Monday, and fans were quick to notice his new look. The senior Indian batter was reportedly travelling to Bengaluru, where Delhi will play all their VHT matches for the season. With an aim to get enough game time to remain in touch, Virat will be looking to make the most of the opportunities in the VHT.

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Having retired from the Tests and T20Is, Virat remains just an ODI cricketer. His last appearance for India came on December 6, when he struck an unbeaten half-century for India against South Africa in an ODI in Visakhapatnam. Kohli was in incredible form in the three-match ODI series against the Proteas and was the top run-getter with 302 runs to his name at an average of 151 on the back of two centuries.

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Kohli was recently seen training in Alibaug for the VHT. He’s expected to play two games in the group stage, which would mark his first appearance in the competition since 2010. Delhi will be captained by Rishabh Pant, and the squad also includes players like Ayush Badoni, Ishant Sharma, Navdeep Saini, Yash Dhull and Priyansh Arya. Talking about Kohli, the 37-year-old has played 14 Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, scoring 819 runs at an average of 68.25 and a strike rate of 106.08, including four centuries and three half-centuries.

Delhi will kick off their VHT campaign with a group D match against Andhra Pradesh on December 24, followed by fixtures against Gujarat, Saurashtra, Odisha, Services, Railways and Haryana.

The domestic assignment is also seen as valuable match practice for Kohli ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand, beginning in Vadodara on January 11.

The former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who has played a fair amount of cricket with Virat, spoke about the former skipper's personality, his approach to pressure and the mindset that has defined his long career. "He’s a fierce competitor but a fun-loving guy outside of it. He’s just a normal human being like any one of us. It’s just that he is an extraordinary world champion batter. That’s one side of him. The other side of him is a normal human being who is from Delhi who cracks those jokes like any Delhiite would. A great family man, and I have immense respect for him, and I’ve always had a very good, healthy, respectful relationship with him all through."

 


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