Vijay Hazare Trophy: Virat Kohli’s 131-Run Knock Further Bolsters His Case for 2027 ODI World Cup

Former India captain and star batter Virat Kohli marked a sensational Vijay Hazare Trophy return after 16 years, scoring 131 to guide Delhi past Sikkim and surpass 16,000 List A runs, cementing his case for India’s 2027 World Cup squad.

Former India captain and ace batter Virat Kohli unleashed his vintage form in his Vijay Hazare Trophy comeback in the match between Delhi and Andhra at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) Ground in Bengaluru on Wednesday, December 24.

Kohli made his return to the domestic List A tournament after a staggering 16-year gap, with his last appearance for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy coming in 2010. The match between Delhi and Andhra was scheduled to take place at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium due to the possibility of fan frenzy over the star batter’s appearance, but was shifted to the BCCI CoE ground after the Karnataka Government denied permission to host the match, citing safety and security concerns following a review of the stadium’s readiness.

Virat Kohli’s comeback match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was played without a crowd as the BCCI CoE Ground does not have the infrastructure to accommodate spectators or allow public entry for matches. Therefore, the fans, who were eager to watch Kohli play in his first Vijay Hazare Trophy match in 16 years, were left disappointed as there was no live broadcast of the match.

Virat Kohli Not Slowing Down

Virat Kohli returned to domestic cricket on the back of his impressive performance in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa, where he amassed 302 runs, including two centuries and a fifty, at an average of 151 in three matches. The veteran Indian batter carried on his form into the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Sikkim.

Kohli marked his Vijay Hazare Trophy comeback with his blistering match-winning knock of 131 off 101 balls to help Delhi chase down the 299-run target set by Sikkim in 37.4 overs. The former India captain notched up his century in 83 balls, striking 12 fours and two sixes, as he paced the chase like perfection, just like his vintage ODI days, guiding Delhi to a comfortable victory with a masterclass in timing and shot selection.

Virat Kohli formed a 113-run stand for the second wicket with Priyansh Arya (73), followed by a 159-run partnership for the second wicket with Nitish Rana (66), bringing Delhi closer to chasing down the target. Across two partnerships worth 272 runs, Kohli scored approximately 48% of the total, underlining his dominance in the chase.

With his 131-run knock, Virat Kohli has completed 16,000 runs in his List A career, making him the second Indian batter after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this feat. Kohli overtook former Sri Lanka captain and batting legend, Sanath Jayasuriya’s tally of 16128 runs to become the ninth-leading run-getter in the history of List A cricket.

In his List A career, Virat Kohli has amassed 16130 runs, including 58 centuries and 84 fifties, at an average of 57.60 in 343 matches. However, the veteran Indian batter majority of his List A runs in ODIs, wherein he has aggregated 14557 runs, including 53 centuries and 76 fifties, at an average of 58.46 in 308 matches.

Kohli Makes the 2027 World Cup’s Case Much Stronger

Virat Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Trophy comeback with a century has further strengthened his case for his participation in the 2027 World Cup, which will take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. His performance in the ODI series against South Africa and in his comeback Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Sikkim has firmly put him in a strong position to be part of India’s long-term ODI plans in the build-up to the marquee event.

The veteran Indian batter’s peak form since his return to international cricket in the three-match ODI series against Australia, where he had a poor start with two back-to-back ducks before his 74-run knock in the final match at Sydney, followed by his impressive showing in the ODIs against South Africa, has seemingly left the BCCI selectors in a position where they they cannot ignore his sustained form and proven match-winning ability if they hope to build competitive squad for the 2027 World Cup.

Virat Kohli has not officially confirmed his participation for the 2027 World Cup, given that the marquee event is two years, but his participation in the ODI series against Australia and South Africa, and his willingness to play two matches of the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy suggest former India captain is fully committed to staying in peak form and giving selectors no reason to overlook him when finalizing the squad for the 2027 World Cup.

Since his comeback to competitive cricket after retiring from Tests in May this year, Virat Kohli has amassed 507 runs, including three centuries and two fifties, at an average of 101.40 in seven matches. After having retired from Tests and T20Is, Kohli is solely focusing on the ODI cricket, intending to extend his career till the 2027 World Cup, which is likely to be the swansong of his illustrious international career.

‘Non-Committal’ Shows Commitment

During the squad for the Australia white-ball series, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were ‘non-committal’ for their participation in the 2027 World Cup. However, the statement appeared to have taken a backseat since then, as Kohli, alongside Rohit, reaffirmed their commitment to feature in the marquee event by letting the bat talking.

Before Virat Kohli notched up his century and guided Delhi to a winning start in their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign, Rohit Sharma had a blistering ride at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, where he smashed a 62-ball century against Sikkim and played a match-winning knock of 155 off 94 balls to help Mumbai chase down a modest 237-run target.

The performance of the two senior-most batters, who have been India’s batting mainstay across formats for over a decade and a half, reaffirms their readiness for the 2027 World Cup, leaving the selectors with no excuse to look past them. Agarkar’s ‘non-committal’ remark over Ro-Ko’s future in long-term ODI plans now looks completely out of place, as both batters have made it impossible for selectors to ignore them.

After completing their domestic duties with Mumbai and Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, including their second and final match against Uttarakhand and Gujarat, respectively, on Friday, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return to national duties when Team India faces New Zealand in the three-match ODI series starting January 11.