Stadium Packed as Fans Welcome Virat Kohli in His First Domestic Match in 12 Years

Virat Kohli’s Return to Domestic Cricket After 12 Years Draws Massive Crowds in Delhi 

A packed Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi witnessed history as Virat Kohli made his much-anticipated return to domestic cricket after 12 years, turning out for Delhi in their Ranji Trophy clash against Railways.

Kohli’s return follows the BCCI’s directive for contracted players to participate in domestic cricket after India’s 3-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss to Australia. It also comes at a time when the former Indian captain is striving to regain consistency in Test cricket.

Kohli’s Recent Test Struggles

While he remains one of India’s greatest batters, with over 27,000 international runs, Kohli’s red-ball form has declined in recent years:

• Test average before 2019: 54.97
• Test average since 2020: 30.72
• Last 10 Tests: 22.47 average
• In 2024: 23.2 average—ninth lowest among players with 10+ innings

Unmatched Fan Craze for Kohli’s Domestic Comeback

• Thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium, eager for a glimpse of King Kohli
•  Long queues formed as spectators were allowed free entry to witness the match
• TV & YouTube journalists, a rare sight at domestic games, covered the event
•  Reports say Kohli engaged in football drills, sprints, and net practice before the match

Reactions from Players & Fans

• Delhi Captain Ayush Badoni: “The team is excited and motivated by Kohli’s presence.”
• Railways Captain Pratham Singh: “Facing Kohli is an inspiration; it pushes us to perform better.”
• A fan, Akash Kumar (ANI): “I’ve been waiting outside for five hours. I’ve never seen such a crowd for a domestic match.”

With Delhi choosing to bowl first, fans will have to wait a bit longer to watch Kohli bat. His last domestic appearance was in 2012, but from 2006-2012, he amassed five centuries and five fifties for Delhi.

Will this return to Ranji Trophy help Kohli rediscover his best red-ball form?