Virat Kohli has informed the Delhi and District Cricket Association of his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, with preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup cited as the primary reason, sources close to the DDCA confirmed.
The move comes months after Kohli’s return to the domestic circuit in the 2025-26 edition, where he scored 131 off 101 balls against Andhra Pradesh and 77 off 61 against Gujarat, his first List A cricket in 15 years. He is moving early to make his position clear, and he is doing it through action, not words.
“I still want to be on that plane to South Africa for the World Cup. I have given everything to ODI cricket over the years and I am not done yet.”
Virat Kohli, RCB Podcast, May 2026
The statement came after a long international summer with England. With the 2027 World Cup 18 months away, the call to DDCA signals he is not waiting for selectors to decide his fate. He is dictating the terms himself.
What the Vijay Hazare Trophy Is Really Preparing Him For
View this post on Instagram
Insider Read:
A domestic tournament like the Vijay Hazare Trophy gives Kohli something no net session can produce. In the nets, a batter controls the environment. He chooses his bowlers, resets on his terms, and moves on when something goes wrong. A List A match removes all of that. The pressure of chasing 280 in the 38th over with three wickets in hand, against a state attack trying to make careers, puts every decision under real stress. That is the exact condition the World Cup will create. No training produces that feeling. Kohli knows this better than anyone. This call to DDCA is not about fitness. It is about recreating match pressure before the biggest tournament of whatever remains of his career.
In the 2025-26 edition, Kohli’s 131 off 101 came chasing 299 against Andhra Pradesh, a game Delhi won by 4 wickets. Three days later, his 77 off 61 helped Delhi defend 254 against Gujarat by 7 runs. Both innings came in must-win situations. Both were built, not hit. That is what selectors need to see from a 37-year-old ahead of a 50-over World Cup.
The selection debate around Kohli’s 2027 place has grown louder in recent months. Sourav Ganguly and AB de Villiers have both questioned whether he remains automatic. Gill has already staked his World Cup claim with a consistent run at the top, and the competition for batting spots does not pause for reputation. Kohli’s answer is not a counter-statement. It is another VHT appearance.
Nasser Hussain, writing after the England series, put it directly: a player of Kohli’s calibre commands selection when given match time and rhythm. The VHT call is Kohli’s attempt to guarantee both.
The DDCA confirmed the development, with a board official telling WION: “Virat has informed us of his availability. He wants to play the domestic circuit to stay in rhythm ahead of the World Cup.”
The news was first reported by @cricketstan1 on Instagram on July 23, 2026. No official BCCI statement on Kohli’s 2026-27 VHT participation has been made at time of publication.
ALSO READ
