India’s right-handed veteran batter, Virat Kohli, marked his well-deserving return to the domestic red-ball cricket after nearly 12 years for Delhi. The veteran’s decision came after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made it mandatory for senior players to turn up in the domestic games for their national selection.
The Test form hasn’t been sweet for Virat Kohli in the last few months. At home against New Zealand during the three-match series, the right-handed batter managed just 93 runs in six innings at an average of 15.50, thanks to his one half-century in the first innings of the series opener at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Questions were raised on his potential performance in Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. He increased the fans’ expectations with the second-inning unbeaten century at the Optus Stadium in Perth but kept on repeating the same mistake for the last four games. He recorded just 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75.
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Virat Kohli’s return into the Ranji Trophy for Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium against Railways was built with so much excitement and buzz. Thousands of spectators turned up for the game as the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) was required to change their plans to open a new block to maintain the smooth procession of the crowd.
“Virat Kohli also gifted his kit bags to me and Vaibhav, in which VK 18 is written”- Sanat Sangwan
However, it was not a memorable moment for the batter as he was dismissed cheaply by Himanshu Sangwan in the first and lone innings of his batting display. He opened his account with a single before playing the trademark straight drive for a boundary. The very next delivery was an inswinger into the middle and leg stump. Once he missed it, the ball blew away the furniture.
However, Delhi’s opener, Sanat Sangwan, opened up on his experience of playing alongside Kohli and revealed the dressing room vibe. He addressed that the 36-year-old shared his fielding experiences with the batter and he gifted a lot of things to the domestic players.
“When Virat (Kohli) walked into bat, then he asked me whether the ball was moving or not. He also told me that I was batting well and should keep batting this way. He spoke of having a big partnership.” Sangwan highlighted this during a discussion on Dainik Jagran.
“He even shared his experience while fielding. Virat gifted a lot of things to the Delhi cricketers. He gave bats to a lot of players. He gave his bats to me, Ayush Badoni, Sarvansh Beedi, and Navdeep Saini. He also gifted his kit bags to me and Vaibhav in which VK 18 is written.” He added.
Delhi didn’t enjoy their previous game at the Niranjan Shah Stadium with a ten-wicket defeat against Saurashtra as they were troubled by the spin of Ravindra Jadeja. But Virat Kohli’s presence brought new excitement and joy among the players.
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“The dressing room environment was different. Everyone was determined to win the match. The dressing room atmosphere was light because of him. He always inspires us to do well. I was very excited since it was my first meeting with him. My parents were also happy.” The young opening batter cracked.
Sanat managed 30 runs in 81 deliveries. Virat Kohli now focuses on the upcoming three-match ODI series against England at home, followed by the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to begin on February 19. India will begin their journey against Bangladesh on the very next day at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.