Virat Kohli, India’s star batter, made his much-anticipated return to domestic cricket in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match between Delhi and Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Commenting on Kohli’s comeback, former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan noted that his presence elevated the match, making it feel like an international fixture. Dhawan also highlighted how fans gathered in large numbers at the stadium to witness the former India captain in action. Taking to the microblogging platform X, the 39-year-old shared his thoughts:
A Ranji Trophy match that felt like an international final! @imVkohli returning to domestic cricket after 13 years had Delhi’s stadium packed to the brim! What an amazing scene it was. 🔥💪
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) January 31, 2025
It’s worth mentioning that Kohli returned to the red-ball domestic tournament after over 12 years. His most recent appearance in the Ranji Trophy was back in November 2012. Reports indicate that around 15,000 fans attended Day 1 of the Delhi vs Railways match.
Delhi won the toss and opted to field first, dismissing Railways for 241. Upendra Yadav top-scored for Railways with 95 runs. For Delhi, Navdeep Saini and Sumit Mathur both claimed three wickets.
Virat Kohli was dismissed for just six runs in Delhi’s first innings of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match against Railways. He walked out to bat on Day 2 with a massive crowd hoping for a big knock. However, their excitement turned to disappointment as Kohli’s stay at the crease lasted just 15 balls.
The right-handed batter impressed viewers with a delightful straight drive for four in the 28th over. But, pacer Himanshu Sangwan had the last word, dismissing Kohli on the very next ball. Kohli went for the same shot again, but the ball seemed back in, went through the gap between the bat and pad, and hit the off-stump. At the time of writing, Delhi are 241/5 in 59 overs. Captain Ayush Badoni fell just one run short of a century, losing his wicket for 99.