Kohli, Simarjeet Shine as Delhi Defeat Andhra by Four Wickets

Kohli smashed 131 off 101 deliveries, with strong support from Nitish Rana (77 off 55 balls) and Priyansh Arya (74 off 44), as Delhi chased down a stiff target of 299 with ease, finishing the job in just 37.4 overs.

Bengaluru: Virat Kohli marked his return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after a 15-year gap in emphatic fashion, hammering a commanding century to steer Delhi to a four-wicket win over Andhra in their Group D opener on Wednesday. Kohli’s authoritative 131 laid the foundation for the chase, well complemented by fluent knocks from Rana and Arya.

Earlier, Ricky Bhui struck a fine 122 off 105 balls to propel Andhra to 298 for eight, while Simarjeet Singh’s impressive spell of 5/54 kept Delhi in the contest on a batting-friendly pitch. Once Kohli took charge, however, Andhra’s total looked inadequate. Displaying sublime timing and trademark strokes, Kohli raced to his fifty in 39 balls and reached his hundred in 83 deliveries.

The knock marked Kohli’s 58th List A century and saw him become the fastest batter to reach 16,000 List A runs, achieving the feat in just 330 innings. Despite being dropped twice, Kohli’s dominance never waned, as he stitched vital partnerships with Arya and Rana to put Delhi firmly in control.

Though Delhi lost a few quick wickets after Kohli’s dismissal, the damage had already been done, sealing a memorable victory powered by the master batter’s brilliance.