Amid senior pacer Ishant Sharma opting out from the red-ball competition, India's star cricketers Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant have been included in the 84-member Delhi Ranji Trophy probable list, reported Hindustan Times.
This would be the first time since 2019 that Virat Kohli's name has been included in the probable list of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) for the 2024-25 season of India's domestic cricket.
Last played in the Ranji Trophy matches for Delhi in 2012, Kohli's inclusion in the probable list doesn't guarantee of him playing for the team. Reason being he will be preparing for the New Zealand Test series starting October 16.
In his last Ranji match, Kohli 14 and 42 against Uttar Pradesh before getting out to Bhuvneshwar Kumar in both innings.
The same goes for Rishabh Pant, who played for Delhi last in 2019. He, too, will be busy with the preparation for the New Zealand Test series.
Delhi is scheduled to open its campaign against Chhattisgarh on October 11 in Raipur.
"The committee has selected the following probables for consideration in the Delhi Men's Senior Squad for the upcoming Ranji Trophy tournament in the 2024-25 domestic season. A fitness test for the selected players will take place on September 26 2024, with the venue details to be communicated by the team manager," HT quoted the DDCA release with names of 84 cricketers in the list including the likes of Navdeep Saini, Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull and Anuj Rawat.
Using Virat Kohli judiciously is vital for India, considering the long list of Test matches ahead of the country.
Kohli's presence in the upcoming five-Test series in Australia starting November, the Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship final next year is very crucial for India. Same applies for Pant, whose records against Australia is very strong.
