Virat Kohli bats at Arun Jaitley Stadium ahead of Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match [Watch]

Team India's star batter Virat Kohli was seen sweating it out with the nets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Tuesday, January 28. The former captain practiced with the Delhi team ahead of the side's final Ranji Trophy 2024-25 group match against Railways, which begins on Thursday, January 30.

Kohli will return to the red-ball domestic competition after a gap of more than 12 years. The 36-year-old last played a Ranji Trophy match in November 2012, where he registered scores of 14 and 43 against Uttar Pradesh.

The senior player batted in the nets at Arun Jaitley Stadium ahead of his Ranji Trophy return. The match will be played at the same venue, his home ground.

Here's a glimpse of Kohli's recent practice session with Delhi:

It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli also played a game of football with his Delhi teammates before hitting the nets for batting practice.

According to TOI, the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) approached Virat Kohli for captaincy on his Ranji Trophy comeback. However, he declined the offer and will play under the leadership of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Ayush Badoni.

Kohli started preparing for the match against Railways in Mumbai, where he trained with former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar. Due to a neck sprain, the seasoned campaigner was unavailable for Delhi's recently concluded game against Saurashtra.

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"It is a great experience for our junior players" - DDCA secretary on Virat Kohli playing in Ranji Trophy 2024-25

DDCA secretary believes playing alongside Virat Kohli in the Ranji Trophy 20204-25 will benefit the youngsters of the Delhi team. He pointed out how barring pacer Navdeep Saini, no other player from the squad has played with the ace cricketer.

Suggesting that the Delhi players will get to learn a lot from Kohli, here's what Sharma told news agency PTI:

"Obviously, it is a great experience for our junior players as they will get to share the dressing room with Virat. If you look at our team, only Navdeep Saini has played alongside Virat in the IPL and for India. In fact, none of the players in the team have played with Virat in the Ranji Trophy. They can learn a lot by watching him."

Delhi are placed sixth in the Group D of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. The Ayush Badoni-led side has claimed just a solitary outright win so far this season.