Delhi, India: Virat Kohli made his highly anticipated return to domestic cricket after more than 12 years, playing for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi.
The 36-year-old star batsman’s comeback follows the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s directive for contracted players to feature in domestic cricket after India’s 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
This return comes amid a personal struggle with Test cricket form, as Kohli has faced challenges with consistency in recent years.
One of India’s greatest batters, Kohli has more than 27,000 international runs to his name. However, his form in Test cricket has dipped. Kohli averaged 54.97 in Tests until 2019, but since 2020, it has fallen to 30.72 and just 22.47 in his last 10 Tests.
And Kohli’s performance since the start of 2024 has seen an average of 23.2, ranking him ninth-lowest among players with a minimum of 10 innings.
27,813 People on the 1st day of a Ranji Trophy match between Railways and Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium .
All because of one man. 👑🐐#BharatArmy #COTI #viratkohli #ranjitrophy pic.twitter.com/e69nsn9XTU— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) January 30, 2025
Despite these challenges, his return to the domestic circuit has caused a wave of excitement, with fans flocking to the stadium. Long queues were reported outside the stadium as fans were allowed free entry.
Even journalists from TV and YouTube were present, an uncommon sight at domestic matches.
Kohli’s arrival in Delhi was met with high energy from his teammates. Ayush Badoni, the captain of the Delhi team, said the players were “excited and motivated” by Kohli’s return, while Pratham Singh, the captain of the Railways team, expressed that Kohli’s presence had inspired them and would motivate them to do better in the match.
Kohli did not bat immediately, as Delhi won the toss and opted to bowl first. The ongoing Ranji Trophy season runs from January 5 to March 10, featuring 32 teams. Kohli made his domestic debut in 2006 at 18 years old, with his first match netting just 10 runs. In the next six years, he scored five centuries and as many fifties for Delhi. His last appearance in domestic cricket was in 2012.
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