Virat Kohli returns after 15 Years; Ishant Sharma included as Rishabh Pant to lead Delhi’s star-studded Vijay Hazare Trophy squad

Virat Kohli, who has been included in Delhi’s squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament, is set to return to domestic cricket. Rishabh Pant will captain the team as the 20-man squad has been announced for the first two matches of the event.

This tournament is taking place at a unique time as the Indian team has no assignments for 20 days and all India’s international players are allowed to participate. In fact, a recent report showed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has issued an order for all players to participate in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant will lead the team in a bid to revive his white-ball career. Despite being included in the ODI squad, Pant has not played a single match since August last year. In fact, he has featured in only one 50-over match for India in the last three years.

Ishant Sharma, India’s second highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history, will also participate in the tournament. Ishant has not represented India since December 2021 but continues to play white-ball cricket at the domestic level and the Indian Premier League (IPL). He will also compete in the tournament.

The presence of Ishant and Virat means that the two members of the India-only 100 Test club will be part of the Delhi squad alongside the current Indian team’s vice-captain.

Navdeep Saini, who also plays for India, will participate in the tournament, while Harshit Rana will participate when he is available. Rana is a member of both India ODI and T20I teams.

“The committee has finalized the Delhi Senior Men’s Team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the 2025-26 domestic season. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru and will start on December 24, 2025. Mr. Rishabh Pant, Mr. Virat Kohli, Mr. Ishant Sharma and Mr. Navdeep Saini have confirmed their availability and will be part of the team. Mr. Rishabh Pant has been appointed to the team. In a statement released by DDCA, the captain of the team was Mr. Harshit Rana. It was stated that he would join the squad as soon as he was available.

The local over 50 tournament will start on 24 December. Delhi are in Group D and will officiate all their group stage matches in Bengaluru.

Delhi’s squad for the first two VHT matches: Rishabh Pant (C), Virat Kohli, Ishant Sharma, Navdeep Saini, Ayush Badoni (vice-captain), Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, Sarthak Ranjan, Priyansh Arya, Tejasvi Singh (week), Nitish Rana, Hritik Shokeen, Harsh Tyagi, Simarjeet Singh, Prince Yadav, Divij Mehra, Ayush Doseja, Vaibhav Kandpal, Rohan Rana and Anuj Rawat

Delhi’s Vijay Hazare Trophy Fixtures

Match 1: Delhi vs Andhra, Wednesday, 24 December 2025, Alur Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru, 09:00 IST

Match 2: Delhi vs Gujarat, Friday, 26 December 2025, Alur Cricket Stadium, Bengaluru, 09:00 IST

Match 3: Delhi vs Saurashtra, Monday, 29 December 2025, Alur Cricket Stadium II, Bengaluru, 09:00 IST

Match 4: Delhi vs Odisha, Wednesday, 31 December 2025, Three Ovals KSCA Stadium (Alur), Bengaluru, 09:00 IST

Match 5: Delhi vs Services, Saturday, 03 January 2026, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 09:00 IST

Match 6: Delhi vs Railways, Tuesday, 06 January 2026, Alur Cricket Stadium II, Bengaluru, 09:00 IST

Match 7: Delhi vs Haryana, Thursday, 08 January 2026, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, 09:00 IST

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