Former Indian captain Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant have been named in Delhi’s list of probables for the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season. The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) announced the squad on September 24, following a meeting chaired by Gursharan Singh, with selectors K Bhaskar Pillai, Rajeev Vinaik, chief coach Sarandeep Singh, and joint secretary Rajan Manchanda present.

Virat Kohli’s potential return to domestic cricket

This will mark the first time since 2018 that Virat Kohli has been named in Delhi’s probable Ranji squad, signaling a potential return to domestic cricket after a considerable gap. Kohli’s last Ranji Trophy appearance was in the 2012-13 season when he played against Uttar Pradesh following a successful international series against New Zealand. His inclusion could significantly boost Delhi’s chances in the tournament, providing invaluable experience and leadership. However, with his international commitments, particularly the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, there remains uncertainty over his participation in significant Ranji matches.

Test commitments

Despite being named in the Ranji squad, both Kohli and Pant face scheduling challenges. The domestic competition kicks off on October 11, with Delhi set to play against Chandigarh. Nevertheless, Kohli and Pant will likely be part of Team India preparing for the Test series against New Zealand, starting on October 16 in Bengaluru. Due to these international commitments, their participation in the early matches remains doubtful. Nevertheless, there’s a possibility that Kohli may feature in later matches, particularly the fixture against Jharkhand, starting on November 13. With Kohli retired from T20Is, and no immediate white-ball commitments, fans may yet see him donning the Delhi jersey during the 2024-25 season.

Rishabh Pant: Star power boost for Delhi’s Squad

Even with the uncertainty surrounding their participation, the inclusion of Kohli and Pant in the probables list significantly enhances the profile of Delhi’s squad. Rishabh Pant is no stranger to domestic success, having played 17 Ranji Trophy matches since his debut in 2015. He rose to fame during the 2016-17 season when he smashed the fastest century in Ranji Trophy history off just 48 balls against Jharkhand.

Notable inclusions and omissions

The squad also features pacer Navdeep Saini, who has struggled to secure a spot in the national team in recent months, and young talents like Mayank Yadav, Harshit Rana, and Divij Mehra. Nonetheless, one surprising omission is veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who played for Delhi in the last season but has been left out of the probables for the upcoming edition.

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Ranji Trophy’s opening match and squad’s fitness Test

Delhi’s Ranji Trophy campaign will start with their clash against Chandigarh on October 11, and a fitness test for the players is scheduled for September 26, 2024. Players currently on international duty, like Kohli and Pant, are exempt from this test. The fitness test is crucial for finalizing the team, as the squad will look to leverage both experience and emerging talent to mount a strong challenge in the Ranji Trophy.

Delhi’s 84-member probables squad for Ranji Trophy 2024-25:

Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Himmat Singh, Pranshu Vijayan, Anirudh Chowdhary, Kshitiz Sharma, Vaibhav Kandpal, Siddhant Bansal, Samarth Seth, Jonty Sidhu, Siddhant Sharma, Tishant Dabla, Navdeep Saini, Harsh Tyagi, Lakshay Thareja (wk), Sumit Mathur, Shivank Vashisth, Salil Malhotra, Ayush Badoni, Gagan Vats, Rahul S Dagar, Hrithik Shokeen, Mayank Rawat, Anuj Rawat (wk), Simarjeet Singh, Shivam Kumar Tripathi, Kuldip Yadav, Lalit Yadav, Prince Choudhary, Shivam Kishore Kumar, Shivam Gupta (wk), Vaibhav Sharma, Jitesh Singh, Rohit Yadav, Sumit Kumar, Anmol Sharma, Keshav Daba, Sanat Sangwan, Shubham Sharma (wk), Aryan Chaudhary, Aryan Rana, Bhagwan Singh, Pranav Rajvanshi (wk), Saurav Dagar, Money Grewal, Kunwar Bidhuri, Nikhil Sangwan, Puneet Chahal, Priyansh Arya, Yash Dhull, Prince Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav, Suyash Sharma, Arpit Rana, Divij Mehra, Sujal Singh, Hardik Sharma, Himanshu Chauhan, Ayush Doseja, Ankit Rajesh Kumar, Dhruv Kaushik, Ankur Kaushik, Krish Yadav, Vansh Bedi, Yash Sehrawat, Vikas Solanki, Rajesh Sharma, Tejasvi Dahiya (wk), Rounak waghela, Manpreet Singh, Rahul Gahlot, Aryan Sehrawat, Shivam Sharma, Siddharth Sharma, Parv Singla, Yogesh Singh, Deepesh Baliyan, Sagar Tanwar, Rishab Rana, Akhil Chaudhary, Digvesh Rathi, Sarthak Ranjan, Ajay Guliya

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