Rishabh Pant obliges BCCI for Ranji Trophy return, but Virat Kohli stays silent on availability

The Delhi cricket team has received a major boost ahead of the next round of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25, as the Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is all set to return to red-ball action for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

Rishabh Pant has confirmed that he will play for Delhi in their upcoming Elite Group D Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match against Saurashtra, starting on January 23 in Rajkot. However, there is still uncertainty regarding Virat Kohli's availability for the Ranji return.

Notably, Pant last played a Ranji Trophy match during the 2017-18 season, while Kohli hasn't participated in India’s premier red-ball competition since 2012. However, Pant and Kohli have both been included in Delhi's probable squad for the rest of the season, subject to their availability.

Good news for Delhi as Rishabh Pant set for Ranji Trophy return after 6 years

Meanwhile, Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) secretary Ashok Sharma has shared a fresh update on the availability of the Indian cricket team stars Pant and Virat Kohli for the upcoming Elite Group D fixtures in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25, where Delhi is currently ranked fourth in the points table.

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The DDCA Secretary has confirmed that Rishabh Pant will join the Delhi side directly in Rajkot for the next Ranji encounter against Saurashtra. However, Virat Kohli has not yet contacted the DDCA, leaving uncertainty about his availability, especially considering Harshit Rana will be on national duty during the match.

Delhi pacer Harshit Rana has been named in India’s squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against England, starting on January 22, making him unavailable for the final two matches of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Rana was also part of India’s Test squad for the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

DDCA confirms Rishabh Pant's return but awaits Virat Kohli's decision for Ranji Trophy 2024-25 fixtures

Ashok Sharma was quoted as saying by PTI: “Yes, Pant has confirmed his availability for the next Ranji game and will join the squad in Rajkot directly. About Virat Kohli, we want him to play, but we haven't heard from him while Harshit Rana is selected in the T20 squad and hence is unavailable.”

Notably, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant both struggled for runs on the Australia tour, where India lost the five-match Test series 1-3 to the hosts. While the former Indian captain managed only 190 runs in 9 innings, the left-handed batter failed to capitalize on his good starts, amassing only 255 runs.

Pant was recently dropped from India’s T20I squad for the upcoming five-match series against England. Thus, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter will be turning up for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, as the BCCI has instructed all the centrally contracted players to represent their state teams in domestic cricket.

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Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal set for Ranji action

If they are not available for their respective domestic teams, then they must provide a physio report and get approval from Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and selector Ajit Agarkar. On the other hand, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also available for Punjab and Mumbai respectively.

Mumbai will face Jammu and Kashmir, while Punjab will take on Karnataka in the next round of the ongoing Ranji season. Rohit Sharma was also recently seen training with the Mumbai squad for their match against Jammu and Kashmir, but there is no clarity on whether he will participate in the game.

- Rishabh Pant for Delhi.
- Shubman Gill for Punjab.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal for Mumbai.

All three young sensations will play Ranji trophy in the next match - THE INDIAN CRICKET IS IN SAFE HANDS. 🇮🇳🌟 pic.twitter.com/DkTPiALCew

— Khalid khan (@imkhalidsports) January 14, 2025