Virat Kohli returned to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after 16 years with a match-winning century for Delhi against Andhra in Bengaluru. With no spectators allowed, fans climbed trees to watch him. During the knock, Kohli also crossed 16,000 List A runs.
Former India captain and star batter Virat Kohli made his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi after 16 long years in the opening match of the season against Andhra at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on Wednesday, December 24.
The veteran Indian batter, whose last appearance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was in 2010, marked his comeback with a sensational knock of 131 off 101 balls to help Delhi chase down the 299-run target set by Andhra in 37.4 overs, kicking off their quest to clinch their second title of the tournament. Kohli formed a 113-run stand for the second wicket with Priyansh Arya (73), followed by a 159-run partnership for the third wicket with Nitish Rana (66), bringing Delhi closer to chasing down the target.
The VHT match between Delhi and Andhra was scheduled to take place at Bengaluru’s iconic stadium, M Chinnaswamy Stadium, considering expectations of fan frenzy to watch Kohli in action. However, the Karnataka Government and Bengaluru City Police did not grant permission to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to host matches at the venue, citing safety and security concerns following a review of the stadium’s readiness.
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Fans Risk Their Lives to Watch Virat Kohli in Action
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. Thus, fans were left disappointed as they could not watch the star batter play live. Also, BCCI did not broadcast the match between Delhi and Andhra due to logistical reasons.
However, the fan frenzy did not stop as several ardent Virat Kohli supporters climbed nearby trees and vantage points near the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) to watch the star batter in action. The pictures went viral on social media, where the Kohli fans were seen perched on nearby trees around the CoE, risking their safety to catch glimpses of the former India captain during his long-awaited return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Given that the BCCI CoE does not have the facility to accommodate the spectators, the fans took a risky decision to climb nearby trees and elevated spots to catch a glimpse of Virat Kohli in action.
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.
When will Virat Kohli Play the Next VHT Match?
Virat Kohli confirmed to the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) his availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, despite reports of his refusal to play the tournament amid a rift with Team India head Gautam Gambhir. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed the senior players to feature in the domestic tournament to be considered for the national selection.
After his match-winning century against Andhra, Virat Kohli will feature for Delhi against Gujarat at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Since Kohli is playing only one format for the remainder of his international career, the BCCI wanted him and Rohit Sharma to play as many domestic matches as possible to prove their match fitness, consistency, and form to be considered for India’s long-term ODI plans in the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
After playing his second and final Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Uttarakhand, Virat Kohli will return to national duties when Team India faces New Zealand in the three-match ODI series starting January 11.
