Virat Kohli World Cup ready, sends STRONG message to Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar with 131 in Vijay Hazare comeback

New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s made his comeback to Vijay Hazare Trophy after almost 15 years. His appearance wasn’t just a ceremonial cameo, but a full-volume ODI-style hundred that dragged Delhi over the line, and as a side effect, reignited the World Cup Kohli conversation.

Kohli smashed 131, and crossed 16,000 List A runs in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Playing at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Kohli scored 131 off 101 deliveries, guiding Delhi to a successful chase of 299 against Andhra. The innings also pushed him past 16,000 List A runs, making him only the second Indian, after Sachin Tendulkar, to achieve this massive feat. This came shortly after he smashed two consecutive ODI centuries for India against South Africa in early December.

His childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, told ANI that Kohli carried his red-hot form into domestic cricket

“Bohot achhe hain aur shandaar form mein hain woh. Aur continue kiya hain apne form ko. Jaise India ke lie abhi do hundreds banaye the, usi continuation mein ah shandaar ballebaazi ki hain aj aur match jitaya Delhi ho. Kaafi shamay baad woh domestic cricket khel rahe the aur behad shanddar baari kehli unhone. (He is in terrific form and has continued it. Just like the two hundred he made for India recently, he carried that momentum today too, batted superbly again, and won Delhi the match. After a long time, he returned to domestic cricket and played a truly superb innings),” said Sharma to ANI.

Since Virat Kohli plays only ODI cricket, domestic List A matches serve as the perfect platform to maintain his tempo and sharpen his decision-making between international assignments. In this game, Kohli kept the scoreboard tickling as he scored at an impressive pace, reaching his hundred in just 83 balls while keeping Delhi’s chase firmly under control once settled.

Kohli’s childhood coach reflected on his readiness

Sharma emphasized Kohli’s readiness, saying that his consistent form continues to make him India’s most reliable option ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup progresses.

“Dekhiye woh shanddar form mein hain. Usne dikhaya hain peechle dono matches mein hundreds kiya hain India ke liye. Toh behtareen form mein hain. Aur woh ek aisa khiladi hain jo sabse zyada consistent hain bhartiya team ke liye, toh mere khayal se woh puri tarah taiyar hain World Cup ke liye. (Look, he is in excellent form. He showed it with hundreds in the two matches for India, so he is in outstanding touch. And he is the most consistent player for the Indian team, so I feel he is completely ready for the World Cup)”, said Sharma.

Kohli’s excellent form gave Delhi an excellent start to the tournament, while it also served as a clear signal that Kohli remains hungry for runs and performance, leaving no reason to overlook his place in the marquee tournament, just a year and a half away.