Virat Kohli returns to Bengaluru to play Vijay Hazare Trophy after 15 years but no fans allowed; Here's why

Former India captain Virat Kohli's return to Vijay Hazare Trophy after a long gap of 15 years is set to be played behind closed doors in Bengaluru.

As per a report by ESPNCricinfo, Bengaluru fans will not be able to catch a glimpse of Kohli. The report says that the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) wanted two stands at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium to be open where 2,000 to 3,000 spectators could be seated. However, the proposal was opposed by the government due to "potential security and compliance issues".

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The government intends to avoid any chaos considering Kohli and Rishabh Pant will be in action. As a back-up plan, Delhi’s campaign opener against Nitish Kumar Reddy-led Andhra Pradesh may be played at BCCI's Centre of Excellence if the police doesn’t grant permission to host the match at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.

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After Venkatesh Prasad took over as KSCA President earlier in December, an effort has been made to bring back cricket to Chinnaswamy Stadium. No professional cricket has been played the venue since the stampede on June 4 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) victory celebrations that claimed 11 lives and left others injured.

As per a report by the Justice John Michael D'Cunha, the venue is "highly unsafe" to hold large gatherings. On December 22, a committee formed by Karnataka government comprising of police officials and fire safety department conducted an inspection. The final report is yet to be made public.

Kohli’s Vijay Hazare Trophy record

The last time Kohli played a Vijay Hazare Trophy match was in Gurgaon in 2010. So far, he has played 13 matches in the premier One-Day domestic tournament, scoring 819 runs at an average of 68.25, including four centuries and three fifties.

When was the last time Delhi won Vijay Hazare Trophy?

The only time Delhi won the Vijay Hazare tournament was in 2013. In the final, Unmukt Chand scored a century. Then, skipper Rajat Bhatia starred with a three-fer as Delhi won the match by 75 runs.

Delhi’s full squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

Rishabh Pant (c), Virat Kohli, Arpit Rana, Ayush Badoni (vc), Ayush Doseja, Divij Mehra, Harsh Tyagi, Hrithik Shokeen, Ishant Sharma, Navdeep Saini, Nitish Rana, Priyansh Arya, Prince Yadav, Rohan Rana, Sarthak Ranjan, Simarjeet Singh, Tejasvi Dahiya (wk), Vaibhav Kandpal, Anuj Rawat (stand-by), Yash Dhull.