India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has confirmed his availability for Delhi’s upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra, which is set to begin on January 23 in Rajkot, according to DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma.
Pant’s last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was during the 2017-2018 season. The participation of star player Virat Kohli, who last played for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy in 2012, remains uncertain.
Both Pant and Kohli have been included in Delhi’s list of probables for the remainder of the season.
“Yes Pant has confirmed his availability for 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,” Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) secretary Ashok Sharma told PTI.
Former India players Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri have been among those advocating for the current crop of players, particularly the struggling Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, to participate in red-ball cricket following the team’s series loss in Australia.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are also expected to represent their respective state teams in the upcoming matches.
Although Rohit’s training session with the Mumbai team on Tuesday generated significant interest, it is still unclear whether he will make himself available for the upcoming round of Ranji Trophy matches starting on January 23.
There has been intense debate surrounding Kohli’s potential return to the Ranji Trophy to regain his form in red-ball cricket, alongside Rohit Sharma.
DDCA routinely includes its star players in the list of probables, but their final inclusion in the squad is subject to their availability.
Rohit opted to rest himself from the final Test in Australia due to poor form, while Kohli’s struggles outside the off-stump continued, with his tally of being caught in the slips increasing to eight over the course of five Tests.
In addition to Kohli, Pant, and Harshit Rana, Delhi has named 38 probables for the remaining two games.
Delhi currently holds the fourth position in Group D, with 14 points from five games.
