File photo of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant©AFP
India wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant may be available for Delhi’s next Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra starting January 23 in Rajkot, DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma said on Tuesday. Pant last played a Ranji Trophy match in the 2017-2018 season. However, there is no clarity on the participation of superstar Virat Kohli, who last featured in the Ranji Trophy in Delhi in 2012.
Both Indian players have been named as probables for Delhi for the remainder of the season.
“Yes Pant has confirmed that he will be available for the next Ranji match and he will directly join the squad in Rajkot. About Virat Kohli, we want him to play but from him while Harshit Rana is selected in the T20 squad and unavailable. “I have not heard anything,” Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) secretary Ashok Sharma told PTI.
Former India players Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri are among the many who want current players, especially struggling Rohit Sharma and Kohli, to play red-ball cricket after the series loss in Australia.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also expected to play for their respective national teams. Rohit’s training with the Mumbai team on Tuesday has generated a lot of interest, but it remains to be seen whether he will be available for the next round of the Ranji Trophy, which begins on January 23.
There was also a heated debate about Kohli returning to the Ranji Trophy to regain his red-ball form alongside Rohit.
It is common for DDCA to name star players on a probable list, but inclusion in the final squad may depend on availability.
While Rohit was rested for the final Test in Australia due to poor form, Kohli’s struggles outside the off-stump worsened as his number of catches in the slips rose to eight over the course of five Tests.
Besides Kohli, Pant and Harshit Rana, Delhi have been assigned odds of 38 for the remaining two games. In Group D, Delhi is in 4th place with 14 points from 5 games.
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