"Young players were feeling motivated while training with their idol" - Delhi head coach on Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy 2024-25 comeback

Team India's star batter Virat Kohli will play in Delhi's upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match against Railways, beginning Thursday, January 30. Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh believes that the senior player's presence motivated the youngsters during the side's practice session at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, January 28.

Kohli is set to return to the red-ball domestic cricket tournament after more than 12 years. The former India captain trained with his Delhi teammates ahead of his comeback.

Speaking about Kohli practicing alongside Delhi players, here's what Singh told IANS:

"Young players were feeling motivated while training with their idol Virat Kohli. It is good for domestic cricket. We had just cricket chat with Kohli and plans for the match were discussed. It was indeed a good day."

It is worth mentioning that before hitting the nets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kohli also took part in a football game with his teammates. The 36-year-old's last Ranji Trophy appearance came in November 2012, where he registered scores of 14 and 43 in Delhi's six-wicket defeat to Uttar Pradesh. He was dismissed by pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in both essays.

Kohli will play under Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Ayush Badoni. Team India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who played in Delhi's recently concluded match against Saurashtra, won't feature in the contest.

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"Our nation's pride" - Delhi all-rounder Shivam Sharma on playing alongside Virat Kohli

Delhi all-rounder Shivam Sharma expressed his excitement over sharing the dressing room with Virat Kohli in the Ranji Trophy 2024. He highlighted that while his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut came against Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he now has the chance to be in the same team as the star cricketer.

Taking to the microblogging platform X, Sharma wrote:

"From playing against him in my IPL debut to now playing with our nation's pride none other than VIRAT KOHLI."

Sharma made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2014. Playing for Kings XI Punjab (re-christened as Punjab Kings), he claimed impressive blowing figures of 4-0-26-2. The off-spinner picked up the wickets of Yuvraj Singh and Albie Morkel.