Virat Kohli is playing his first Ranji Trophy game for Delhi after 2012 as he turned up for Delhi’s ongoing game against Railways being played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from January 30, 2025 onwards.
Kohli’s return to domestic cricket has caused a amongst the cricket fans in Delhi. The DDCA opened up the Stadium and allowed entry to the fans for free, with only Aadhar Card being asked for verification.
Fans began queuing outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium as early as 4 a.m., with a massive 2km line forming at the entry gates. Initially, only three gates were set to be opened for fans. However, in response to the enormous crowd, the DDCA (Delhi & District Cricket Association) decided to open an additional gate.
It became impossible for security staff to control the boisterous crowd at the site, as fans began pushing each other in an attempt to enter the stadium swiftly. The ruckus even caused a few of the fans to fall at the entry gate and get injuries.
Delhi teammate Navdeep Saini touches Virat Kohli’s feet in respect
Ahead of the game, Virat Kohli trained with the Delhi team, many of them had not played with the star batter. Almost all of the Delhi team made their debut after 2012, the last time Kohli played for the side in the Ranji Trophy.
When Railways was asked to bat first after Delhi captain Ayush Badoni won the toss, the Delhi teammates formed a huddle as Virat Kohli spoke some encouraging words to his teammates.
After that was done, Navdeep Saini jokingly touched Virat Kohli’s feet, which surprised the batter himself. Saini and Kohli were later seen laughing at the incident with other Delhi players.
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Kohli reportedly spent nearly an hour at the nets. Initially, he used throw-downs to practice the pull shot.
After some knocking, Kohli approached the spinners’ nets to face Harsh Tyagi and Sumit Mathur, both left-arm spinners. A couple of balls gripped and stopped, but their bowling lacked bite. The same goes for pacers Navdeep Saini, Money Grewal, Rahul Gehlot, and Siddhant Sharma.
Unlike the Indian nets, Kohli did not appear to be concerned, despite the fact that he practiced leaving a lot of deliveries.
Also Read: Virat Kohli’s Work Ethic Praised By U-19 Coach Before Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Return vs Railways