Virat Kohli Takes Stunning Vijay Hazare Trophy Decision Ahead Of New Zealand ODI Series
Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli will not be available for Delhi's Vijay Hazare Trophy encounter against Railways.
Indian cricket team star batter Virat Kohli will not be available for Delhi's Vijay Hazare Trophy encounter against Railways on Tuesday. As per the BCCI mandate, Kohli played two matches in the competition for Delhi - against Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. He looked in brilliant form, scoring 131 and 77 respectively in those matches. Although the star batter was supposed to play one more match for Delhi before joining the national side for the ODI series against New Zealand, Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh confirmed that he will not be available. "No, he is not available," Singh said.
Earlier, Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) President Rohan Jaitley stated that Kohli had given his availability for three games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
"As of now, he is playing. Virat has given his availability for three games," he told PTI.
Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as captain of Mumbai for the remainder of their Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group C games in Jaipur, said the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Monday.
Shreyas will take over the captaincy from injured regular skipper Shardul Thakur who has been sidelined from the rest of the competition due to injury. Mumbai are currently at second place in Group C and will take on Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, before facing Punjab on January 8.
"The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is pleased to announce that Shreyas Iyer has been appointed as the captain of the Mumbai senior men's team for the remaining league matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy."
"Shreyas Iyer will take over the leadership responsibilities in place of Shardul Thakur, who has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury and is currently unavailable for selection. An experienced international cricketer with proven leadership credentials, Shreyas Iyer brings calmness, tactical acumen, and a strong understanding of the game.
"The Association is confident that under his captaincy, the Mumbai team will continue to perform with determination and uphold Mumbai cricket's rich legacy. The Mumbai Cricket Association wishes Shardul Thakur a speedy recovery and extends its best wishes to Shreyas Iyer and the entire Mumbai squad for the upcoming matches," said MCA Secretary Prof. Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar in the statement.
Interestingly, Iyer has been named in the squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting in Vadodara on January 11. His inclusion for that series, though, depends on the fitness clearance after playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy games for Mumbai.
If Iyer clears his fitness tests, then the MCA will have to appoint a new captain for the knockouts of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, starting on January 12 at the BCCI CoE Grounds in Bengaluru. Iyer was out of action due to a serious spleen injury sustained while taking a diving catch of Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey in the third ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground in October last year.
(With IANS inputs)
Virat Kohli