Rishabh Pant will lead Delhi in the opening stretch of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, starting 24 December, with Virat Kohli pencilled in for the first two fixtures. The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) released a 20-man group on Thursday, spelling out who is certain, who is hopeful and who is on standby.
“It lifts the whole dressing-room when senior India players opt in,” selector Gagan Khoda said, welcoming Pant’s return to domestic one-day cricket after a busy international year. A DDCA statement added that quicks Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini “have conveyed their availability”, while Harshit Rana will link up once he comes off national duty in South Africa.
Delhi sit in Group D and are due to play seven matches between Christmas Eve and 8 January. For now, only the first two – against Andhra and Gujarat at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium – are set in stone for Kohli and Pant. India’s home ODI series, beginning 11 January in Vadodara, may yet shorten their domestic stint. Coach Bhaskar Pillai admitted as much: “We’re delighted to have them even if it’s just a couple of games – it sets standards.”
Ayush Badoni, increasingly trusted as a middle-order finisher, has been named vice-captain. Tejasvi Dahiya is the back-up keeper, with Anuj Rawat on standby should Pant be summoned elsewhere.
Young top-order player Yash Dhull, along with Priyansh Arya and Arpit Rana, bolsters the batting, while seasoned left-hander Nitish Rana provides middle-overs ballast. The seam department features Simarjeet Singh and Prince Yadav, complemented by spinners Hrithik Shokeen, Harsh Tyagi and leg-break bowler Vaibhav Kandpal. All-rounder Rohan Rana offers balance in the lower order.
Analytically, Delhi’s real test will be knitting experience and youth on slowish southern tracks. Pant’s injury-interrupted domestic record is slim – just eight List-A outings in five years – yet his strike rate of 116 has often swung matches. Kohli, playing his first Vijay Hazare game since 2015, brings 75-plus average and undeniable aura. Whether the pair stay long enough to drive a deep run depends on national call-ups and player management protocols.
Still, Ishant’s presence gives Delhi a senior new-ball option, handy in morning starts. Saini, searching for rhythm after stop-start seasons, could share the hard yards. Spin depth looks solid but relatively untested; Shokeen’s off-breaks, in particular, will be watched by IPL scouts.
“We’ve asked the youngsters to enjoy, not freeze,” Pant told local media after the squad announcement. “Having Virat bhai around makes that easier – you just follow his work ethic.”
Delhi squad – first two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches
Rishabh Pant (capt), Ayush Badoni (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, Sarthak Ranjan, Priyansh Arya, Tejasvi Dahiya (wk), Nitish Rana, Hrithik Shokeen, Harsh Tyagi, Simarjeet Singh, Prince Yadav, Divij Mehra, Ayush Doseja, Vaibhav Kandpal, Rohan Rana, Ishant Sharma, Navdeep Saini. Standby wicket-keeper: Anuj Rawat.
Delhi open against Andhra on 24 December, follow up versus Gujarat on Christmas Day, and then head to Chennai for the remainder of the group phase.
