"He has confirmed his availability to us for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. We look forward to having him around," confirmed
Jaitley to Hindustan Times website.
The confirmation quashes rumours of Kohli's decision to go against the Indian team management. It is now common
knowledge that the current think tank, spearheaded by head coach Gautam Gambhir and the BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit
Agarkar, wants both Kohli and Rohit Sharma to be available for the Vijay Hazare Trophy and get some much-needed game
time to keep up with the rigours of international cricket if they are to play the World Cup 2027.
Since Kohli and Rohit returned to international cricket in October 2025 against Australia, their immediate future has
become a hot topic of discussion. Across cricketing circles, the big World Cup question keeps coming up: can they make
the trip to South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe?
Right before the series against Australia, several reports claimed that the duo would be asked to play in the Vijay
Hazare Trophy if they harboured dreams of being part of the African safari. No one from management confirmed their names
for the World Cup, stating that the tournament is “two years away.” When the captaincy was taken away from Rohit and
given to Shubman Gill in ODIs, the management clearly ruffled a few feathers.
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However, both Rohit and Kohli answered back in style, scoring runs for India. In the recent ODI against South Africa,
Kohli hammered 135 runs, and Rohit scored 57 as the duo shared a 136-run stand for the second wicket. This comes on the
back of another century partnership that the two forged in the Sydney ODI, with Rohit's unbeaten 121 and Kohli's 74 not
out taking India over the line. After winning the Player of the Match accolade, Kohli indirectly made it clear that he
doesn't need “excessive preparation”, which was seen by many as a direct jibe at Agarkar and Gambhir's directive of
playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Kohli and Rohit's relations with head coach Gambhir have become the biggest gossip in Indian cricket, among former
cricketers and on social media. The dressing room atmosphere is far from ideal as there is a clear communication gap
between the two senior players and the head coach. After the first ODI win, Kohli was seen giving a cold shoulder to the
former India opener, passing him in the dressing room without making eye contact.
On Tuesday afternoon, cameras at the Ranchi airport also picked up another selector, Pragyan Ojha, having an animated
conversation with Kohli just minutes before the Indian team took a flight to travel to Raipur, the venue for the second
ODI. Just moments before making his way to speak to Kohli, Ojha was spotted seated alongside Gambhir as well.
It is worth mentioning that in January this year, the BCCI issued a directive for all centrally contracted players,
asking them to feature in domestic cricket whenever the schedule allows, in order to remain in contention for national
selection. Virat and Rohit had both featured in a Ranji Trophy game for Mumbai and Delhi, respectively.
Which matches will Virat play?
India will play a three-match ODI series against New Zealand, beginning January 11, with Kohli set to be part of the
squad. He will most likely join the Indian camp 2-3 days before the series begins. Hence, he is more than likely to play
multiple Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 matches. However, it remains unclear which matches Kohli will feature in,
especially since he is expected to fly to London once the South Africa series concludes on Saturday, December 6.
Delhi will play against Andhra Pradesh (December 24), Gujarat (December 26), Saurashtra (December 29), Odisha (December
31), Services (January 3), Railways (January 6) and Haryana (January 8) in the group stage.
Kohli last played the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2010, when he led Delhi against Services. His return ends a 15-year
absence, and the former India captain is now poised to become a central figure in Delhi cricket – a setup that, by all
indications, is in desperate need of a turnaround after recent disappointments in the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq