After 12 years, Virat Kohli returned to play a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. The hype around his comeback was immense, but his performance fell short of expectations. In the Delhi vs Railways match, he was clean bowled for just 6 runs, adding to the pressure of his poor form rather than easing it. Amid this, Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu has criticized the BCCI for forcing Kohli to play domestic cricket.
The Indian team has struggled in Test cricket recently, suffering a 3-0 series defeat at home against New Zealand and losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by 3-1. Star players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have faced criticism for their performances, with their absence from domestic cricket also cited as a contributing factor. In response, the BCCI made domestic cricket participation mandatory for all players.
‘Leave Virat Kohli Alone’, says Ambati Rayudu
However, the former Chennai Super Kings batter disagrees with this decision, particularly in Kohli’s case. Taking to social media, Ambati Raydu wrote, “Right now, Virat Kohli doesn’t need Ranji. His technique was good for 81 hundreds, and it will be good going forward as well. No one should force him into forcing himself for anything. He needs time to feel good about everything again. The spark within will ignite on its own. Basically, respect and believe in him—most importantly, leave him alone.”
Virat Kohli has faced a similar phase before, particularly after 2019, when he went nearly three years without scoring an international century. During this period, he played several quality innings but often got out before reaching the three-figure mark due to the pressure of ending his century drought.
However, when he finally broke the streak with a century during the 2022 Asia Cup, the pressure lifted, and he returned to his best. This is exactly what Rayudu is pointing out—Kohli is under unnecessary pressure, and if there is less talk about his performances, he will eventually regain his form.
Virat Kohli’s return to Ranji cricket created massive hype. The stadium was packed with spectators, and the media continuously covered this Ranji group match, which isn’t considered a big fixture, putting even more pressure on Kohli to perform. Although Delhi won the match by an innings, Kohli couldn’t deliver under the mounting pressure.
With added pressure, the Delhi-born cricketer will now take the field in the India vs England ODI series. The series will begin on February 6 in Nagpur, with the next two fixtures scheduled for Cuttack and Ahmedabad on the 8th and 12th, respectively.
