Just after the end of the three-match ODI series at home against South Africa, it was announced that Virat Kohli would be part of a couple of games for Delhi in the 2025/26 season of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT). He was expected to be joined by the wicket-keeper, Rishabh Pant, in the squad.

This happens given the BCCI’s rule of players turning up in the domestic game if they are not part of the national commitment. It will be a return to List-A cricket for Kohli after a long time, as he appeared for the side in the first-class game against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium at the start of the year.

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That turned out to be his final game with the red ball as he announced his retirement from the longest format during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Kohli, however, keeps an eye on being part of the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia

Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli named in first two Delhi games in VHT 2025/26 

Pant has been named the captain of the side with Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini also making them available for the first two games. Virat Kohli has also been part of the 20-man squad which will play its first two games against Andhra and Gujarat. Harshit Rana, if available, will join the squad as Ayush Badoni has been named the vice-captain. 

Pant will also get the experience of Nitish Rana in the middle order and the freshness of young Priyansh Arya at the opening spot of the team. Simarjeet Singh will be their top-class bowler of the side, with Hrithik Shokeen taking care of the spin department. 

Delhi’s squad for the first two VHT 2025/26 games

Rishabh Pant (capt), Ayush Badoni (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, Sarthak Ranjan, Priyansh Arya, Tejasvi Singh (wk), Nitish Rana, Hrithik Shokeen, Harsh Tyagi, Simarjeet Singh, Prince Yadav, Divij Mehra, Ayush Doseja, Vaibhav Kandpal, Rohan Rana, Ishant Sharma, Navdeep Saini.
Anuj Rawat (standby wicketkeeper)

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made some important additions to their strong team in the IPL 2026 auction. The team focused on uncapped players, with five out of their eight buys coming from that category. One of them was the Patiala-born teenager, Vihaan Malhotra, bought for ₹30 Lakh.

At 18, Vihaan has already made a mark in Indian cricket with good performances this year. While his chances of playing in the main XI next season may be low, the batting all-rounder could be a big prospect for RCB in the future. Interestingly, Vihaan is one of the few players who bat left-handed but bowl right-arm off-spin.

RCB fans have also been curious to know more about the young player. Here are five interesting facts about RCB's uncapped signing at the IPL 2026 auction, Vihaan Malhotra.

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1. Vihaan Malhotra’s Rise to Fame in England

Vihaan Malhotra became known among Indian cricket fans during the India Under-19 tour of England earlier this year. The left-handed batsman scored 243 runs in five ODIs, finishing as the third-highest run-scorer. His average was 48.60, with a strike rate of almost 99.

His performances helped India Under-19 win the ODI series 3-2. Vihaan also played well in the red-ball series, scoring 277 runs in two Tests at an average of over 69, including a century and two half-centuries.

2. Sacrificing His Spot for IPL Stars

Before the England tour, Vihaan had to give up his opening role to two IPL 2025 stars, Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Suryavanshi. His coach, Kamalpreet Sandhu, asked him to bat at No.3 and make that position his own.

“He has opened all his life. Batting at No.3 was new for him. I told him Vaibhav and Ayush earned their spot, and he should make No.3 his own,” said Kamalpreet. Vihaan followed his coach’s advice and performed well at No.3 during the England tour.

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3. Idolising Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill

Vihaan enjoys playing all three formats and wants to earn a national call-up through consistent performances, not just a few IPL knocks.

He looks up to Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill because they succeed in all formats. “I admire Shubman Gill. He is technically strong and performs in white-ball cricket too. Kohli and Gill are great examples of complete batsmen,” said Vihaan Malhotra in a recent interview.

He added, “Cricket isn’t only one format. Red-ball cricket builds the base for white-ball success. Some people think a few IPL knocks can get you to India, but I believe in the grind. After England, Vihaan also played in the U-19 tour of Australia. He scored well in the ODIs, averaging just under 40, but struggled in the red-ball matches, averaging under 13.

4. Inspired by Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Team Competition

Vaibhav Suryavanshi, only 14, made headlines in IPL 2025, scoring 252 runs at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 206.55 in seven matches. Vihaan said Vaibhav’s success inspired him, even though they could be future competitors.

He also mentioned Ayush Mhatre and said the competition helped him improve. “The focus on Vaibhav and Ayush helped me go under the radar. Bowlers wanted to dismiss IPL stars first, so I could work my way in. Having them in the team pushed me to work harder,” said Vihaan.

Ayush Mhatre also performed well in IPL 2025, scoring 240 runs at an average of 34.28 and a strike rate of 188.97 in seven games.

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5. Imitating Shubman Gill’s Celebration

Vihaan also admires Shubman Gill’s batting and his celebrations. Gill’s signature bow celebration after milestones inspired Vihaan to copy him. “It was amazing to watch him bat live in England. I celebrate my milestones like him — with that bow,” said Vihaan.

Gill had a great Test series in England, scoring 754 runs at an average of over 75, including four centuries, in the 2-2 drawn five-match series.

India opener Abhishek Sharma was unstoppable in the 2025 calendar year. In 20 T20Is, he scored 825 runs at a blazing strike rate of 195.03. He set the tone at the top of the order, helping India win the Asia Cup 2025, beating Pakistan in the final, as well as series against England and Australia, and now he is on the verge of winning the five-match T20I series against South Africa.

Even in the IPL and SMAT, Abhishek kept up his form, scoring 1567 runs in T20S so far this year. His dream run in 2025 could turn legendary if he scores at least 47 runs in the fifth T20I against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. With this many runs, he could surpass Virat Kohli for the most T20 runs by an Indian batter in a calendar year.

Kohli currently holds the record with 1614 runs in 2016. He was phenomenal that year, scoring four centuries and averaging 89.66. Abhishek now has the perfect chance to beat Kohli and set a new record in Indian cricket. He has got good starts in the series against South Africa, but has not been able to convert them. The fifth T20I is his best opportunity to get back into form and make history.

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Most Runs by an Indian Batter in a Single Year in T20S

India Lead 2-1 in the Series

India currently has a 2-1 lead over South Africa in the five-match T20I series. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side won the first T20I, but the Proteas bounced back in Mullanpur. India returned to winning ways in Dharamsala, while the fourth T20I was called off due to heavy fog.

Ahead of the fifth T20I, the Indian team suffered a double blow as Axar Patel and Shubman Gill were ruled out of the series. Sanju Samson is expected to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma.

A list of probable candidates was announced a year before. But the main squad is yet to be announced. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are going to feature for their state team, Delhi, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 season. But who are the other players who will be playing alongside Kohli and Pant?

The Delhi cricket team will play their first match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on December 24 against Andhra Pradesh. Ahead of the contest, some serious allegations were made over the Delhi cricket governing body. As per fresh reports, the Delhi team is scheduled to leave the day after tomorrow for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the team announcement hasn't been made yet. But why is there a delay in team announcements even after publishing the list of probables?

It is claimed that the announcement of the main squad is now on hold because of some 'personal preferences.' As Virat and Rishabh, two Team India superstars, are all set to play for the Delhi cricket team, it is going to be a dream come true moment for many regional players. Above all, as is alleged, there can be some personal preferences of the officials as well as the management. In between multiple preferences, the official team announcement is delayed, as per claims on social media. 

दिल्ली की टीम को परसो विजय हजारे ट्रॉफी के लिए निकलना है और अब तक टीम का ऐलान नहीं किया गया है, क्योंकि विराट ओर पंत के साथ खिलाने के लिए अधिकारी अपने खिलाड़ी भेजना चाहते है और मैनेजमेंट अपने । हद है दिल्ली क्रिकेट की ।

— vipul kashyap (@kashyapvipul) December 19, 2025

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List of 50 probables:

Dev Lakra, Divij Mehra, Yugal Saini, Sujal Singh, Rajneesh Dadar, Aman Bharti, Govind Mittal, Sumit Beniwal, Shubham Dubey, Keshav Dabas, Rahul Choudhary, Samarth Seth, Shivam Tripathi, Anmol Sharma, Shivam Gupta, Lakshay Thareja, Manan Bhardwaj, Rounak Waghela, Mayank Gussain, Keshav R Singh, Laxman, Divansh Rawat, Pranav Rajvanshi, Pranshu Vijayran, Siddhant Sharma, Gagan Vats, Vansh Bedi, Rahul Gahlot, Vishal Rai, Samarth Singh, Sanat Sangwan, Aayush Singh, Sumit Mathur, Sampooran Tripathi, Vivek Tiwari, Hrithik Shokeen, Tejas Baroka, Saksham Sharma, Dev Dubey, Shivam Sharma, Rohit Yadav, Anirudh Choudhary, Vishant Bhati, Pranav Pant, Pankaj Jaswal, Ajay Guliya, Siddhant Bansal, Vikas Solanki, Divij Prakash and Suryakant Chauhan. 

Because of Virat Kohli, the jersey number 18 of the Indian cricket team is considered iconic. During an event, Kohli explained how the number 18 became unparalleled with his life significantly. 

December 18 was a sad day for Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli's father, Prem Kohli, died on December 18, 2006, at the age of 54, due to a brain stroke. The death occurred while Virat, then 18 years old, was playing a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Karnataka. After that, Virat tried to get rid of the number 18. 

But no one knows how the future is going to be treated. Kohli was determined to get rid of the number eighteen but couldn't. When he went to play for the India Under-19 team, he was presented with the number 18 jersey. Then, when he made his debut for the main team of India, it was again the same number, which eventually took him to the highest rank of the game. 

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Virat Kohli explains why number 18 is special for him

"First I wanted number seven since my roll number in school was seven. But someone was already wearing jersey number seven. Then a BCCI manager said I should take 18 since my birthday is on 18 July. At that time, I didn’t know that Virat Kohli also wears number 18," Kohli said this before on a program. 

"To be honest, 18 started off as being just a number that was given to me when I first opened that India U-19 jersey with my name and number on the back. But it ended up becoming a very, very important number in my life. I made my India debut on August 18. My father also died on December 18, 2006. Two of the most significant moments of my life happened to be on the 18th. Even though I got the number before that, there seems to be a cosmic connection with this date," Kohli said. 

Virat Kohli returned to India a few days ago and visited Mumbai, besides making a trip to Delhi, perhaps spending a couple of days at home. It has been a long time since he has stayed long in this country despite not being part of any competitive cricket. The right-handed batter took his retirement from the longest and shortest formats of the game in June this year. 

Virat Kohli went to Australia for the three-match ODI series before heading home for a couple of weeks’ rest when the Indian side was taking part in the five-match T20I series down under. The veteran again returned home to feature in the three-match ODI series against South Africa before returning to the United Kingdom for just a handful of days.

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Now a video has gone viral around the social media where Kohli has been seen to be travelling with his wife, Anushka Sharma, to Alibaug to perhaps spend some time off before a hectic few weeks where he will play a couple of games for Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26 before featuring in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma travel to Alibaug

Kohli didn’t do well in the three-match series down under, where he returned with two ducks in the first couple of clashes in Adelaide and Perth before smashing a fine half-century with the bat in Sydney, along with an unbeaten stand with centurion Rohit Sharma to win the contest for the Blue Brigade.

Watch the video here: 

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma on their way to Alibaug🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/Nb0qzGyjNR

— 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙣🥂 (@wrognxvirat) December 17, 2025

Once he returned to India, the form went up, and he recorded two successive centuries against the Proteas in Ranchi and Raipur. When the target was not a big one, it remained unbeaten on an aggressive half-century in the third ODI in Vizag to clinch the series by a 21-run margin for the Indian side.

With form and fitness on his side, there must not be any question about Kohli being on track for the upcoming 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

After staying in India for little over a week due to the three-match ODI series against South Africa, Virat Kohli went back to the United Kingdom before returning to India for meeting his family ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26 where he is expected to feature in a couple of clashes for the Delhi side at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

But a video has gone viral on social media where Kohli has been seen ignoring a handicapped person. It showed the Delhi batter coming out of the airport when the person might have asked for a selfie with the former captain, who didn’t look at the person even once as his bodyguard pushed the poor guy away.

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Kohli is, however, known for showing a lot of love and affection for his fans. There have been times when he would wait around the ground after his practice session to sign autographs or take pictures with the fans. Even in airports, there have been times when he got selfies with the young fans.

Virat Kohli ignores physically challenged person in viral video

Kohli, who has retired from the longest and shortest formats of the game, puts his sole focus on ODI cricket with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The right-handed batter didn’t enjoy a great time in the first couple of games against Australia down under, with two ducks and an unbeaten fifty in Sydney.

Watch the video here: 

Virat Kohli’s actions don’t reflect the values he showed when he met Premanand Maharaj.

- A physically challenged fan was pushed away while Kohli just arrogantly walked off. 💔 pic.twitter.com/we2vHzDRU1

— ` (@arrestshubman) December 16, 2025

But he turned the tables during the three-match series against South Africa at home with two successive centuries in Ranchi and Raipur. Even in the series decider, he creamed a fine knock of unbeaten 65 runs in Vizag to help India seal the series by a 2-1 margin.

Kohli, who has overall smashed 14557 runs in 296 innings of the 50-over format, looks in great touch at an average of 58.46 and a strike rate of 93.65 with the help of 53 centuries and 76 half-centuries at the best score of 183 against Pakistan.

When everyone was talking about Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's possible visit to see legendary footballer Lionel Messi, proving every assumption wrong, they again paid a visit to Premananda Maharaj's shrine. While they were listening and speaking with Swamiji, Anushka Sharma's eyes were visibly looking numb and were in tears.

Kohli, who was sitting right on the left side of his wife, was eagerly soaking in the holy advice from Premananda Maharaj. People who follow Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are well aware of their faith in spiritual acts. They often went to temples to worship the almighty. It was not the first time that Virat and Anushka went to Premananda Maharaj's Ashram.

 It was almost their routine to visit Swami Ji's ashram during the winter season every year. Last year too, the couple went to him to seek blessings. Through the video viewers can see both of them attending the shrine in winter clothes and a tilak on Sharma's forehead. 

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Anushka Sharma's eyes were in tears while listening to swamiji

"Consider your work as service, remain serious and humble, and chant the name of God. You should have the desire to see your real father once. You should have the longing to see him," Premananda Maharaj said. 

Virat Kohli और Anushka Sharma मिलने आए पूज्य महाराज जी से pic.twitter.com/ND93dlFdwu

— Bhajan Marg (@RadhaKeliKunj) December 16, 2025

"Have the desire that we have found all happiness; now we want you, and once we have found you, all happiness lies at your feet... We all belong to Shri Ji. We are under his protection. We are all his children."

A day after the recent India vs South Africa ODI match in Vizag, where India emerged as the winner, Virat Kohli visited the Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Simhachalam. He was accompanied by all-rounder Washington Sundar, fielding coach T. Dilip, and some officials of the Andhra Cricket Association. 

When star Indian batter, Virat Kohli, returned to India two days before the ‘GOAT India tour’ 2025 of the global footballer, Lionel Messi. Kohli was spotted with his Bollywood actor wife, Anushka Sharma, as the couple landed in Mumbai before they moved to Delhi on December 16 to spend some time with the family. Kohli returned to England after the end of the three-match ODI series against South Africa.

His return to the country sparked speculation over a possible meet-up with Messi, who arrived on December 13 in Kolkata before moving to Hyderabad in the evening. On the following day, the footballer made his way to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where he was in touch with Sachin Tendulkar, who gave him his Indian World Cup shirt.

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On December 15, Messi moved to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where he was gifted a special jersey by the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the current ICC chairman, Jay Shah, before meeting the young footballers and taking a picture with them.

Why did Virat Kohli not meet Lionel Messi in Delhi?

However, despite all the programs, Kohli didn’t turn up at the ground to meet Messi. This could be due to various reasons. He perhaps wasn’t invited to the event, or it could be the fact that Kohli is a huge fan and admirer of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. He frequently praised his work ethic, discipline, and mental strength, calling him a major inspiration in his career.

Kohli was in exceptional form in the recent ODI series at home against South Africa. He celebrated centuries in the first couple of clashes in Ranchi and Raipur before smashing a fine unbeaten half-century in the third game at Vizag as India bagged the series victory by a 2-1 margin.

Kohli is expected to feature for Delhi in a couple of games of the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025/26 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Later, he will feature in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand early next year at home.

The left-handed batter in the Indian cricket team, Tilak Varma, has been in extraordinary form since his debut in the shortest format of the game, and he has continued that success in the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa at home. During the third clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala, he overtook Virat Kohli’s record.

Virat Kohli was known for setting the gold standard in run chases, and Varma has become the batter with the best average in T20I run chases, underlining his growing reputation in T20Is. Being promoted at number three against the Proteas, the Hyderabad batter played an uncharacteristic knock in tempo.

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The southpaw remained unbeaten in 25 runs in 34 balls at a strike rate of 73.53 with the help of three boundaries during India’s successful chase of 120 runs in 15.5 overs by seven wickets in hand to go 2-1 up in the series ahead of the fourth clash in Lucknow two days later.

Tilak Varma overtakes Virat Kohli’s T20I record

With the innings, Varma now has an average of 70.50 against South Africa in T20Is- which is the highest by an Indian batter against a particular side, surpassing Kohli’s 70.28 against Pakistan in the list of scoring minimum 300 runs. The biggest landmark comes in run-chases as Tilak averages 68 in T20I chases, overtaking Kohli’s celebrated mark of 67.1 from the Test-playing nations as opponents.

Tilak has overall collected 1109 runs in 36 innings of the shortest format at an average of 48.22 and a strike rate of 142.31 with the help of five half-centuries and two centuries at the best score of 120. He will look to continue the same dominance in the last two T20Is of the ongoing series in Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

Varma has been fabulous in pressure situations in the shortest format, as he played the crucial knock against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final. He will also feature in the upcoming five-match T20I series at home against New Zealand, early next year.