Star batsman Virat Kohli was sorely missed by Delhi in the Round 3 encounter against Odisha in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26. The squad failed to chase down a 273-run target set by the opposition, losing to the Biplab Samantaray-led team in the recently finished match. Delhi made some adjustments to their lineup from the previous game, and Ayush Doseja took Virat Kohli’s spot in the playing XI.
The choice to field first after winning the toss appeared to have paid off handsomely, as Prince Yadav (2-57) and Hrithik Shokeen (4-27) both produced stunning spells that held the opposition to 272-8 at the conclusion of 50 overs. Three fours and four sixes were included in the Odisha captain’s top-scoring 72 off 74. It didn’t seem like a difficult run chase, but fate had other ideas.
Delhi, Rishabh Pant’s flop show
Delhi opened with Sarthak Ranjan and Priyansh Arya in reply, but the latter left on the very next ball after hitting a boundary in the opening over, while Debabrata Pradhan made the breakthrough. Delhi anticipated that their star wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant (24 off 28), would play a captain’s knock and take the lead. Despite starting with three fours and a maximum, the Haridwar native holed out to Om in the eleventh over, handing Pradhan his second wicket.
Another Indian star, Nitish Rana, too walked back after a seven-ball two after falling cheaply. Delhi’s lineup collapsed like a deck of cards, losing the game by 79 runs, and all hope was gone after this setback. Along with Shokeen, Harsh Tyagi briefly resisted, but only because the target appeared to be far away.
When Kohli played, what transpired?
Delhi’s playing XI had some of the biggest stars in contemporary cricket in the first few rounds, and their presence was immediately noticeable. Delhi won the first game after the 37-year-old struck his 59th List-A century at a scorching pace. In the second round match, he returned with an outstanding 77 and won Player of the Match for his outstanding batting performance, which helped Delhi win once more.
Will Kohli return to action?
Virat Kohli has stated that he is available to participate in one more round of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on January 6th, according to Rohan Jaitley, president of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA). The top batsman will then play for India in the forthcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, which will begin in Vadodara on January 11.
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