Virat Kohli is currently playing for India in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa.
Earlier, NDTV had reported that Virat Kohli had put the BCCI in a dilemma after he had refused their diktat to play domestic cricket for selection in the Indian team, and won’t be playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025.
The report also stated that Rohit Sharma has already confirmed his availability to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“This stance contrasts with Rohit's apparent keenness to play for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, having also made himself available for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament to maintain his match fitness. Kohli, on the other hand, reportedly believes he is not in favor of 'excessive preparation,'” the NDTV report stated.
However, things have changed, as two DDCA officials have confirmed that Virat Kohli will indeed play for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare 2025 tournament.
The first was Rohan Jaitley, the DDCA president, who confirmed the same to IANS and Sportstar.
“He has confirmed his availability to us, and we look forward to him playing for Delhi,” DDCA president Rohan Jaitley confirmed to Sportstar.
"He will definitely play a few games, but I'm not sure about the entire tournament. It will depend upon his India matches too,” DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told ESPNcricinfo.
Once the last ODI of the ongoing series against South Africa finishes on December 6 in Visakhapatnam, Kohli will have adequate time before the start of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
However, it is not certain yet if he will play all of Delhi's seven league matches, which will continue on till January 8, just three days before the start of the ODI series against New Zealand in Vadodara.
Delhi will play five league matches in Alur, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, and the other two at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli's home venue for his IPL club, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Kohli’s most recent appearance in 50-over cricket for Delhi came back in September 2013 during the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, where India Blue and India Red were the other competing sides. His previous outing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy dates even further back, to the 2009–10 season.