Delhi face Railways on January 6th in the sixth round of the 2025-26 Vijay Trophy. Railways won the toss and elected to bat first. When Delhi’s playing XI was announced for this match, Virat Kohli’s name was missing, which surprised some fans. Previously, a report had suggested that Virat Kohli might play in the January 6th match against Railways.

Though, the absence of Virat Kohli did not bother the Delhi cricket team too much as they got an easy win over Railways. With a strong blowing attack, Delhi restricted opposition team for a paltry total. Delhi batter chased down the target with ease.

Why Virat Kohli did not play?

A few hours before the start of the match, Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh made it clear that Virat Kohli would not play in the match against Railways. However, he did not provide a reason. Fans are eager to know why Virat Kohli is not playing in this match. It should be noted that no official word has been given regarding the reason for his absence.

Virat Kohli is part of the Indian team for the ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11th. He is expected to join Team India soon to prepare for this series, and that may be why he decided to skip this match at the last minute. Before the tournament began, the BCCI had asked all players to play at least two matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Virat has already played two matches this season.

Virat played his first match in the VHT 2025-26 against Andhra Pradesh, scoring a brilliant century of 131 runs. His second match was against Gujarat, where he scored 77 runs. He batted brilliantly in both matches. Delhi won both. Delhi has played five matches in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season, winning four of them. Virat Kohli is expected to next play in the ODI against New Zealand on January 11th.