Virat Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Trophy return, his first game in almost 15 years, wasn’t just a ceremonial cameo. It was a full-volume ODI-style hundred that dragged Delhi over the line, and as a side effect, reignited the World Cup Kohli conversation.
Playing at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Kohli cracked 131 off 101 balls as Delhi chased down 299 to beat Andhra. The knocks also took him past 16,000 List A runs, making him only the second Indian, after Sachin Tendulkar, to reach that mark. It landed soon after he struck back-to-back ODI centuries for India against South Africa in early December, a run that has made his form impossible to file under “nice but…”
Full ready for World Cup: Rajkumar Sharma
His childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, told ANI the domestic ton was simply the same wave continuing.
“Bohot achhe hain aur shandaar form mein hain woh. Aur continue kiya hain apne form ko. Jaise India ke lie abhi do hundreds banaye the, usi continuation mein ah shandaar ballebaazi ki hain aj aur match jitaya Delhi ho. Kaafi shamay baad woh domestic cricket khel rahe the aur behad shanddar baari kehli unhone. (He is in terrific form and has continued it. Just like the two hundred he made for India recently, he carried that momentum today too, batted superbly again, and won Delhi the match. After a long time, he returned to domestic cricket and played a truly superb innings),” said Sharma to ANI.
With Virat Kohli largely shaping his workload around 50-over cricket, domestic List A becomes the cleanest place to keep tempo and decision-making sharp between international windows. On this day, he didn’t just score; he scored at a great pace, getting his hundred in just 83 balls and keeping the chase under control once he was set.
Sharma’s bigger claim was about readiness, that Kohli’s consistency still makes him India’s safest bet in a tournament build-up that eventually turns to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“Dekhiye woh shanddar form mein hain. Usne dikhaya hain peechle dono matches mein hundreds kiya hain India ke liye. Toh behtareen form mein hain. Aur woh ek aisa khiladi hain jo sabse zyada consistent hain bhartiya team ke liye, toh mere khayal se woh puri tarah taiyar hain World Cup ke liye. (Look, he is in excellent form. He showed it with hundreds in the two matches for India, so he is in outstanding touch. And he is the most consistent player for the Indian team, so I feel he is completely ready for the World Cup)”, said Sharma.
For Delhi, it is two points and a brilliant start to the tournament. For Indian management, it is a clear sign that Kohli is hungry for runs and performance; there is no way they can now ignore his place in the marquee tournament, which is about a year and a half away.
