Kohli conveyed his decision to the DDCA over a phone call, officials said. The development comes weeks after a senior BCCI official reportedly urged him to feature in domestic cricket following his emphatic statement on fitness during the Ranchi ODI against South Africa.
DDCA president Rohan Jaitley said, “Virat Kohli has confirmed his availability to us for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and we look forward to him playing for Delhi.”
Kohli last played a Vijay Hazare match in February 2010 against Services. The Delhi side will play all seven of its league games in Bengalurufive in Alur and two at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Kohli has spent over a decade as the face of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
The 36-year-old has gradually limited his international commitments and now features only in ODIs for India, having retired from T20Is in June 2024 and Tests in May 2025. His most recent domestic appearance came in early 2024 when he turned out for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy after a 12-year hiatus.
The BCCI had recently informed both Kohli and Rohit Sharma that participation in domestic tournaments would be mandatory to retain their places in the ODI squad. Rohit, who also returned to Ranji cricket last season, has already confirmed his participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai.
Kohli arrives at the tournament on strong form, having struck his 52nd ODI century a match-winning 135 against South Africa in Ranchi. With India’s next international assignment, the ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11, it remains unclear how many of Delhi’s league fixtures Kohli will play before rejoining the national setup.
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