In a significant development for domestic cricket, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been handed the captaincy of the Delhi team for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy. The National One-Day Championship is scheduled to begin on December 24.
Star-Studded but Limited Availability
The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) announced a strong contingent, with the notable inclusion of veteran batsman Virat Kohli. However, both Pant and Kohli, along with pacer Harshit Rana, have not been named in the official 16-member squad. This is because they will only be available for a limited number of matches—likely two or three—before joining the national team for India's ODI series against New Zealand, which starts on January 11, 2026.
Pacers Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini have also expressed their willingness to participate, bolstering Delhi's bowling attack. The exact fixtures for which Kohli and Pant will be available are still to be finalized by the team management.
Leadership and Squad Composition
With Pant's departure for national duty imminent, Ayush Badoni has been appointed vice-captain. Badoni will take over the leadership reins once Pant leaves and will also serve as the second wicketkeeper for the one-day side.
The regular 16-member squad announced by the DDCA is as follows:
- Ayush Badoni (vice-captain)
- Arpit Rana
- Yash Dhull
- Sarthak Ranjan
- Priyansh Arya
- Tejasvi Singh Dahiya
- Nitish Rana
- Hrithik Shokeen
- Harsh Tyagi
- Simarjeet Singh
- Prince Yadav
- Divij Mehra
- Ayush Doseja
- Vaibhav Kandpal
- Rohan Rana
- Anuj Rawat (wicketkeeper)
The list of additional players who will join for specific matches includes: Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Navdeep Saini, Harshit Rana, and Ishant Sharma.
What This Means for Delhi's Campaign
This move signifies a major boost for Delhi's prospects in the prestigious domestic tournament. The presence of international stars like Pant and Kohli, even if brief, is expected to provide immense experience and morale to the relatively younger core squad. Their participation will also draw significant fan interest to the Vijay Hazare Trophy matches.
The strategy appears to be one of leveraging star power in the initial phase to secure a strong position in the group stages, after which the leadership will seamlessly transition to Ayush Badoni. All eyes will now be on the schedule to see in which high-voltage encounters the fans will get to see Pant leading from the front and Kohli showcasing his class.
