&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "No heroics welcome for IPL champion as KSCA denies entry to fans for Kohli’s return to Bengaluru")
India’s greatest cricketer of his time, Virat Kohli, will return to his IPL fortress at the M Chinnaswamy in Bengaluru for his first Vijay Hazare Trophy match for Delhi in over a decade. Having clinched his maiden IPL trophy last year, Kohli shall be denied a heroic welcome at his home ground in IPL after the Karnataka government has reportedly asked KSCA to host the tournament matches behind closed doors.
Although the state cricket body earlier hinted at the possibility of opening two to three stands for the public (2000-3000 spectators), strong opposition from the government, citing ‘potential security and compliance issues’, led to this decision.
An ESPNcricinfo report suggests that the state government is unwilling to have chaos at the venue’s doorsteps during the holiday season, considering the stature of players involved. Kohli and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s availability for the first two matches earlier forced the KSCA to switch venues from Alur to M Chinnaswamy to avoid logistical challenges.
Meanwhile, Kohli and Pant arrived in the city late on Monday, with their first training session with the Delhi squad scheduled on Tuesday ahead of their tournament opener against Andhra on Wednesday.
This match, however, will mark Kohli’s first outing at the M Chinnaswamy since that tragic stampede on June 4 that killed 11 people while injuring several others. Following that episode, the very venue has become a no-go for any top-flight cricket, with the BCCI also shifting the five Women’s World Cup matches, including the final.
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2026 – Big year for Kohli
Virat will feature in the domestic 50-over tournament as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home starting January 11 in Vadodara. Following that, Kohli will play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2026, which begins on March 26.
After it ends, Virat’s next assignment, per the current schedule, would be the away England ODIs starting July 14.
