India’s former premier spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, hailed Virat Kohli’s return to the domestic red-ball tournament after nearly 12 years. It wasn’t an ideal comeback for the former Indian captain at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, as he could manage only six runs in 15 balls. However, he gave a lot of confidence to the fans with the trademark straight drive for a boundary.
Ravichandran Ashwin feels that the 36-year-old still has enough left in the tank and can serve Indian cricket for many years to come. The move from the veteran came after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it mandatory for the players to feature in the domestic events for their national selection.
The Tamil Nadu spinner, however, took a dig at certain fans who thought the ‘Ranji Trophy is blessed’ due to Kohli’s presence in the competition after several years. The right-handed batter’s presence made the tie between Delhi and Railways one of the biggest encounters as more than 12000 spectators featured on the first two days of the game.
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“I saw one tweet saying ‘Ranji Trophy is blessed‘. I would just say, pay some attention. Do you even know the history of the Ranji Trophy? It has been going on for so many years. It has been a premier tournament.” Ravichandran Ashwin expressed this during a video on his YouTube channel.
“Sachin Tendulkar, who is a legendary cricketer, used to play the Ranji Trophy at all times. Players benefit from playing in the tournament. For cricket, players are not important, but for players, cricket is very important.” The veteran spinner added.
Ravichandran Ashwin analyzes Virat Kohli’s performance in Ranji Trophy comeback
Virat had been struggling of late in the longest format. At home against New Zealand, he managed just 93 runs in six innings at an average of 15.50 with the help of one half-century. Even during the BGT 2024-25, he managed just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75.
“It’s a great thing when it comes to Virat Kohli. He is extremely motivated. I know that. He intends to play Test cricket and do well. I think he has a lot left in the tank. But all said and done, the crowd that turned up, it was great. Such crowds should be there for every Ranji Trophy match.” Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted.
Kohli keeps on repeating the same mistakes around the off-stump as the teams have decoded his weakness. On many occasions down under, Australia invited the drive from Kohli and found the outside edge into the hands of the wicket-keeper and the slip corridor. He resisted himself during the fourth Boxing Day Test at the MCG but couldn’t last long.
The Railways’ pacer, Himanshu Sangwan, spoiled Kohli’s Ranji Trophy comeback as the pacer got one inswinger that jagged back sharply to destroy the batter’s stumps. Ashwin labeled the bowler as a ‘gold-dust performer.’
“Himanshu Sangwan delivered a phenomenal ball. He is not an ordinary Ranji Trophy bowler. He is a tested performer. He is a gold-dust performer. He bowled an exceptional delivery. There was a gap between the pad and bat, it was a class delivery. The ball deserved a wicket.” Ravichandran Ashwin addressed.
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“I saw him (Virat Kohli) batting. His bat was coming down a little faster. Sometimes, you have to adjust to the speed. When you face 140-145kmph bowlers regularly, you need to adjust to the pace. Time in the middle, nothing can beat it.” The Chennai-born reflected.
There is no guarantee that Kohli will be included in their next five-match Test series in England in June 2025. His next aim is the three-match ODI series at home against England, followed by the Champions Trophy 2025.