NEW DELHI: On his return to domestic cricket, India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli produced another eye-catching performance as Delhi started their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign with a thrilling four-wicket win over Andhra in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Playing at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Delhi chased down the target of 299 and won the match, thanks mainly to Kohli’s masterclass with the bat.
Delhi won the toss and chose to bowl first. Andhra made good use of the opportunity and posted a strong total of 298 for 8 in their 50 overs. Ricky Bhui was the standout performer for Andhra. He played an excellent knock of 122 runs from 105 balls, hitting 11 fours and seven sixes. His innings gave Andhra the backbone they needed after early wickets. Nitish Reddy (23), Maramreddy Hemanth Reddy (27), and Singupuram Prasad (28) also added quick runs at the end to push the score close to 300.For Delhi, Simarjeet Singh was the pick of the bowlers, having taken five wickets and broken important partnerships. Prince Yadav also bowled well and picked up three wickets.Chasing 299 was never going to be easy, but Delhi got off to a flying start. Young batter Priyansh Arya played an aggressive innings. He amassed 74 runs from just 44 balls. His attacking approach put pressure on the Andhra bowlers early in the chase.After Arya got out, Virat Kohli took full control of the innings. Now retired from T20Is and Test cricket, Kohli showed his experience in the longer format of the game. He paced his innings perfectly and found the gaps with ease. Kohli scored a magnificent 131 runs from 101 balls, courtesy of 14 fours and three sixes.
Delhi’s Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)
In doing so, Kohli also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the fastest player to reach 16,000 List A runs. The 37-year-old reached the milestone in his 330th innings during the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, compared to Tendulkar’s 391 innings.Nitish Rana gave Kohli excellent support from the other end. Rana played a quick and fearless knock of 77 runs from 55 balls. Together, Kohli and Rana stitched a match-winning partnership that pushed Delhi closer to the win.Although Delhi lost a few wickets towards the end, the hard work was already done. The team reached the target in just 37.4 overs. Harsh Tyagi (4) and Navdeep Saini (5) stayed till the end to seal the win.Nevertheless, Wednesday saw Kohli’s brilliance on display as his innings helped Delhi begin their tournament on a high note.
