'Never witnessed such scenes' - DDCA secretary shocked as Virat Kohli fans take over Delhi stadium

DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma talked about the crowd turning up in big numbers to see Virat Kohli playing in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25. He said that he has been involved for more than 30 years in Delhi cricket but hasn't seen this kind of scene in the Ranji game.

India National Cricket Team batter Virat Kohli has made a return to the Ranji Trophy after 12 long years. The batter is part of the Delhi team for the ongoing match of the tournament against the Railways, which is underway at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where it is looking like a festival.

To see Virat Kohli, over 15000 fans have come to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi

To see Virat Kohli, over 15000 fans have come at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi and there was a queue outside the stadium from around 3 AM. The management at the stadium didn't expect this many fans and after people turned up in numbers, they were forced to open another gate and add more security to the ground.

At first, DDCA opened only a 6,000-capacity ‘Gautam Gambhir Stand’ for spectators. However, as the number of fans increased, the ‘Bishan Bedi Stand’, which can accommodate around 14,000 people, was also opened, and within minutes, the two stands were packed.

Virat Kohli also was surprised with the number of fans that turned out to see him. The batter also thanked fans, who kept changing "Kohli, Kohli". The number of fans is only expected to rise in the coming days as it is expected that the premier batter will be batting.

I have been involved in Delhi cricket for more than 30 years but I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy game - DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma

DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma was in awe of the way fans turned up for the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 game. He stressed that it all reflects the popularity of the India National Cricket Team batter Virat Kohli. Speaking to PTI, he said:

"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."

What made it more challenging was that fans entering the stadium coincided with the VIP movement of PM Modi - DDCA secretary

DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma added that with a lot of people coming to the stadium, it was challenging for them to maintain because there was VIP movement of PM Modi on the outside roads. He revealed that they were instructed by the police to open another stand for the public. He added:

“What made it more challenging was that fans entering the stadium coincided with the VIP movement of PM Modi on the outside roads and as part of his strict security protocol and to maintain order, we were instructed by the police to open another stand for the public," he concluded.

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