‘Thinks himself bigger than the game’: Kohli criticized for not confirming his participation in Ranji Trophy

Indian cricket stalwart Virat Kohli has not yet confirmed whether he will be available to play for his state team in the second round of Ranji Trophy despite he has been added in Delhi’s probables.

Thinks himself bigger than the game Kohli criticized for not confirming his participation in Ranji Trophy hrd

Team India star batter Virat Kohli’s availability to play for his state team Delhi in the Ranji Trophy is still in suspense as he is yet to give confirmation for his participation in the red-ball domestic cricket tournament. The second round of India’s premier domestic tournament will begin on January 23, Thursday. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee and India head coach have directed all the players who were part of the team’s disastrous Test of Australia. Disappointing performances by senior players, especially skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, have led to the discussions about the need to play domestic cricket in order to retain the place in the Indian team. 

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The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and a few others have confirmed their availability to play for their respective states in the upcoming round of Ranji Trophy. However, Indian cricket stalwart Virat Kohli has not yet confirmed whether he will be available to play for his state team in the red-ball domestic tournament despite he has been added in Delhi’s probables. Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) urged Virat Kohli to play for the team by taking an example of Mumbai cricketers. 

“Both Virat and Rishabh's names are in the probable list. The Ranji Trophy camp is underway. Virat should take inspiration from the Mumbai cricketers and play for Delhi in domestic cricket, whenever he is available.” DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told Indian Express. 

“See in Mumbai, there has always been a culture where their India players turn up for Ranji matches whenever available. It is missing in the North, especially in Delhi," he added. 

Amid the uncertainty over Virat Kohli’s participation in the second round of Ranji Trophy, the netizens criticized the Indian batter for prioritizing his personal interests too often than his commitment to red-ball domestic cricket. Some of the Indian cricket fans on X (formerly Twitter) stated that Kohli is busy with his housewarming preparations in Alibaug, while others feel that the right-handed batter is thinking himself bigger than the game. 

Here’s how netizens reacted

Virat Kohli’s last participation in Ranji Trophy was in 2012 when he played a match for Delhi against Karnataka, wherein he scored a gritty 40 in the first innings. Thereafter, the batter has prioritized international commitments and IPL over his involvement in the Indian domestic cricket. 

The former India captain is currently on break after a gruelling Test tour of Australia, where he aggregated 190 runs at an average of 23.75 in 9 innings. After scoring a century in the second innings of the Perth Opener, Virat Kohli failed to maintain consistency as his scores read 7, 11, 3, 36, 5, 17, and 6 in next 8 innings. Last year, Kohli scored only 417 runs, including a century, at an average of 24.52 in 10 matches. He missed the entire Test series against England due to the birth of his second child, son Akaay Kohli. 

Kohli has currently headed to Alibaug for the housewarming of his villa, which he purchased last year. It remains to be seen whether the batter will confirm his participation to the DDCA management to play Ranji Trophy. 

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