Virat Kohli is currently playing for Delhi against Railways in the ongoing Ranji Trophy match. He has returned to the domestic set-up after more than 12 years. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it mandatory for the cricketers to compete in domestic tournaments. According to new rules and regulations, if the players refuse to represent their state teams, they will be barred from playing international cricket. They will not be considered for the central contracts as well.

In the previous matches, Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill were seen competing in the premier domestic competition.

Virat and KL Rahul, who opted out of the contests due to injuries, are taking part in the ongoing round. Rahul is playing for Karnataka. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan is pleased with the return of big names to Ranji Trophy.

“It’s great to see youngsters playing with or against players like Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma in domestic cricket. It wasn’t happening for many years, but it’s happening now. This is fantastic for Indian cricket. Hope the current Indian regulars make it a trend to play domestic cricket,” he wrote on X.

Virat and Rahul will don the Indian jersey in the upcoming three-match ODI series against England.