Virat Kohli made his long-awaited return to domestic cricket after 12 years. He played for Delhi in their Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Delhi chose to bowl first, and Kohli is playing under Ayush Badoni, who is the captain.
Railways Struggles Early in the Game
Railways had a tough start, losing 5 wickets quickly and finding themselves at 66/5 after the first 20 overs. Navdeep Saini, who has played for India, took one of the wickets, and Kohli celebrated with his teammates. Money Grewal, a young fast bowler, also impressed by taking two wickets in a row, nearly getting a hat-trick.
Fans Excited to See Kohli Play Again
Kohli’s return to domestic cricket caused a big excitement. Fans arrived early in the morning to see him play, and some even rushed onto the field to touch his feet. The stadium was full of cheering fans chanting "Kohli! Kohli!" and "RCB! RCB!".
A big turnout in Delhi for Virat Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match since 2012
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 30, 2025
(via @BCCIdomestic) #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/h3GSmGEbyP
KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal in Other Matches
In other matches, KL Rahul is back playing for Karnataka after five years, batting at No. 3 in their match against Haryana. Karnataka needs to win to qualify for the next stage. Mayank Agarwal also faced some early challenges but moved to 46 runs.
Delhi’s Strong Start in the Match
Back in Delhi’s match, their bowlers are doing well. Railways is struggling at 21/3, and Kohli has been helping with field placements. Fans are waiting eagerly for him to bat, hoping for an exciting performance.
Can't make this shit up: The special forces are at a Ranji Trophy game to heighten security. Holy shit! #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/Q0TNnS2E1i
— Aditya Iyer (@Iyr_Adi) January 30, 2025