Virat Kohli's Ranji comeback to be made special by DDCA; special arrangement plan leaked
Published - 25 Jan 2025, 11:19 AM | Updated - 25 Jan 2025, 11:34 PM
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Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli is all set to make his highly awaited return to domestic cricket for Delhi in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024-25. After missing Delhi’s group-stage match against Saurashtra in Rajkot due to his recovery from neck pain, Kohli made himself available for the final game.
The former India National Cricket Team captain is all set to play for the home Delhi cricket team in their Ranji Trophy 2024-25 fixture against Railways, which will be played from January 30 to February 2 at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi.
Virat Kohli set for highly awaited return to Ranji Trophy after 13 years
Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji Trophy after 13 years was confirmed after discussions with Rohan Jaitley, President of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). This will be Kohli’s first appearance in the Ranji Trophy since his last appearance in November 2012, against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.
The DDCA President Rohan Jaitley was quoted as saying by The Hindu: “Kohli spoke to me and confirmed his availability for the Railways game.” Notably, the right-hander had to take the injection earlier this month to address his neck stiffness, forcing him to miss Delhi’s ongoing Ranji clash.
Adding to the excitement for Delhi’s upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match against the Railways, the DDCA is making special arrangements for the fans to watch the modern-era legend in action on the domestic stage after more than a decade and that too at his home ground.
DDCA to make special arrangements for fans for Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy 2024-25 return
Ahead of the upcoming Delhi vs Railways Ranji clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium, the DDCA President, Rohan Jaitley, revealed that special security arrangements are being put in place for Virat Kohli’s much-awaited return to India’s premier first-class tournament.
According to Jagran News, the DDCA is making arrangements to host around 10,000 fans, who will get the chance to watch Kohli in action for Delhi after 13 years. The report said that the North End and Old Club House at Arun Jaitley Stadium will be open for fans.
Rohan Jaitley also revealed that some stands in the stadium are still under construction, but if needed, extra seating will be provided on the ground floor of other stands. The DDCA president also confirmed that no tickets will be sold for the match, and all fans can enjoy the game for free.
Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy journey in brief
Notably, the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match will give the 36-year-old Indian batting maestro a great platform to regain his form before he joins the Indian cricket team for the three-match ODI series against England, followed by the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Kohli made his first Ranji Trophy debut for Delhi against Tamil Nadu in 2006 at Feroz Shah Kotla. In this match, Ishant Sharma and Murali Vijay also made their Ranji debuts and then broke into the Indian cricket team. However, Kohli failed to deliver in his debut match, as he only managed to score 10 runs.
Interestingly, his Delhi teammates Shikhar Dhawan, Rajat Bhatia, and Vijay Dahiya all scored centuries against Tamil Nadu in that Ranji clash. The former Indian skipper has so far played only 23 Ranji matches and scored 1574 runs with the help of five centuries at an average of 50.77.
