Virat Kohli Makes Triumphant Delhi Comeback in List A Match After 12-Year Hiatus

The last occasion when Virat Kohli participated in a List A match that wasn’t an ODI was in September 2013. He captained Delhi against India Blue in the final of the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy.

This Wednesday marks the end of that 12-year hiatus as he prepares to play for Delhi against Andhra in their opening match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group-D.

The game will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence on the city’s outskirts since the Karnataka government denied permission to use the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Due to lack of seating arrangements at the CoE, the match will be played without spectators.

Originally scheduled at the Alur Grounds, the fixture was considered for relocation to Chinnaswamy Stadium upon confirmation of Kohli’s involvement.

Also read | Chinnaswamy Stadium unable to secure approval for hosting Vijay Hazare Trophy matches

However, matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium were conditional upon the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) implementing the Justice Michael D’Cunha report’s recommendations. This report was created following an investigation into the death of 11 individuals during a stampede at Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s title celebration on June 4, 2025.

On Tuesday, a review committee assessing KSCA’s request to hold matches decided against granting permission, citing non-compliance with the required measures.

Earlier this year, when Kohli participated in a Ranji Trophy match after a similarly long pause, over 12,000 fans gathered at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

In Bengaluru, the challenge remains for fans to traverse nearly 50km from the city center to catch a fleeting view of their beloved star from outside the venue’s perimeter, peering through barbed wires.

It seems likely that the energetic cricketer will perform with no vibrant crowd energy to draw from.

Published on Dec 23, 2025