Virat Kohli will play for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy fixture against Railways from January 30 to February 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The last time Kohli featured in the First-Class competition was in November 2012, against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.

“Kohli spoke to me and confirmed his availability for the Railways game,” Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley told Sportstar on Monday.

The BCCI’s new guidelines make it mandatory for players to participate in domestic cricket to be eligible for national selection. As a result, several India players, including captain Rohit Sharma, will play for their State teams in the next round starting on January 23. Kohli is missing the game against Saurashtra due to a neck sprain.

Kohli struggled with the bat in the five-Test series in Australia. The Ranji fixture will provide the 36-year-old with an opportunity to get back among the runs before joining the Indian team for the three-match ODI series against England, followed by the Champions Trophy.