admin
Thousands of fans yesterday filled a stadium in the Indian capital, Delhi, as Virat Kohli made his much-anticipated return to domestic cricket after more than 12 years.
The 36-year-old star batter turned out for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match against the Railways team at the Arun Jaitley stadium.
Kohli’s return follows the national cricket board’s directive for contracted players to play domestic cricket after India’s 3-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss to Australia.
It also comes amid a personal lean patch in Test cricket, where the former Indian captain has struggled for consistency in recent years.
Kohli’s return to the domestic circuit has already generated immense excitement, with fans and experts alike keen to see whether this move helps reignite his form.
Domestic cricket refers to professional competitions played within a country, featuring teams that represent states, regions, or clubs.
These tournaments, like the Ranji Trophy, are held during the cricket season.
However, due to the packed international cricket calendar, many top players, including Kohli, prioritise international matches and the hugely lucrative annual Indian Premier League over domestic cricket.
A large crowd gathered outside the stadium on Tuesday after word spread that Kohli would join the Delhi team for training ahead of the game.
Reports said even TV and YouTube journalists – a rare sight before a domestic match — were present.
“He joined his Delhi team-mates for football drills, bouts of laughter, and 100m sprints, before it was time to hit the batting nets,” ESPNcricinfo reported.
Long queues have been reported outside the stadium as fans have been let in free to watch the game.
Akash Kumar told news agency ANI that he had been standing outside the stadium for almost five hours before the match began and that he had never seen such a crowd for a domestic match.
The captain of the Delhi team, Ayush Badoni, said everyone in the team was “excited and motivated” by Kohli’s arrival. — BBC.
Online Reporter