The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 began with a highly anticipated match between Delhi and Andhra Pradesh, but fans hoping to witness Virat Kohli's return to domestic one-day cricket were met with disappointment. The match, initially scheduled for the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, was moved to the BCCI Centre of Excellence due to security concerns. Furthermore, spectators were barred from the venue.
Kohli's presence in the Delhi squad generated significant buzz, marking his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after nearly 15 years. His last appearance in a domestic 50-over match was in 2010, also for Delhi. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear that players not on national duty should participate in domestic cricket. With his Test and T20I careers behind him, Kohli's participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy is expected to provide him with valuable match practice ahead of India's ODI series against New Zealand in January.
Rishabh Pant is captaining Delhi in the tournament. Kohli entered the competition in strong form, having performed well in recent ODI series against Australia and South Africa. In 2025, he was India's leading run-scorer in ODIs, with 651 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of nearly 96.
The Delhi squad includes Arpit Rana, Nitish Rana, Ayush Badoni, Priyansh Arya, Hrithik Shokeen, Rohan Rana, Simarjeet Singh, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma and others. Andhra's squad includes players such as Srikar Bharat, CR Gnaneshwar, Shaik Rasheed, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Tripurana Vijay.
While Star Sports has the broadcasting rights for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, it was unclear whether the Delhi vs Andhra Pradesh match would be televised. However, live streaming may be available on the JioStar app and website. News24 reported that there would be no live streaming of the match, but scores and updates would be available on their website.
The match is being held at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence, where limited information about the pitch is available. While the surface is generally considered favorable for batters, spinners may also play a significant role. The umpires for the match are Abhijeet Bengeri and Anil Dandekar, and the referee is N Ajay Kudua.
