"I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy match" - DDCA secretary says Virat Kohli's popularity is unmatched

Team India's ace batter Virat Kohli is part of Delhi's playing XI for the side's ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The star cricketer's appearance in domestic cricket sparked a frenzy as fans flocked to the venue in large numbers on Day 1 (Thursday, January 30) of the red-ball game.

Commenting on the massive crowd at the stadium, Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) secretary Ashok Sharma stated that he has never seen such craze for a Ranji Trophy game. Speaking about Kohli's tremendous popularity among the masses, Sharma told PTI (via News 18):

"I have been involved in Delhi cricket for more than 30 years but I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy game. It just shows that Kohli’s popularity is unmatched."

It is worth mentioning that this is Virat Kohli's first Ranji Trophy encounter in more than 12 years. He last featured in the domestic tournament in December 2012.

Kohli didn't get a chance to bat on Day 1 of his comeback match. Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni won the toss and chose to field first. Railways were bowled out for 241 before the home team finished on 41/1 at Stumps.

A similar crowd, if not bigger, is expected at the stadium on the second day to watch the 36-year-old bat.

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"This is fantastic for Indian cricket" - Irfan Pathan on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's Ranji Trophy returns

Team India's senior players like Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant played in the recently concluded round of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Virat Kohli's return was delayed due to a neck sprain, and he finally made a comeback in the ongoing final round of the group stage.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan expressed his delight at Kohli and Sharma's domestic cricket involvement. Hoping to see Team India stars play domestic cricket regularly, the cricketer-turned-commentator wrote on X:

"It’s great to see youngsters playing with or against players like Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma in domestic cricket. It wasn’t happening for many years, but it’s happening now. This is fantastic for Indian cricket. Hope the current Indian regulars make it a trend to play domestic cricket."

Following the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match, Kohli will shift his attention to white-ball cricket. India will face England in a three-match home ODI series from Thursday, February 6.