Railways got off to a disastrous start in their final Ranji Trophy 2024/25 group-stage match against Delhi at Arun Jaitley Stadium, slipping to 21/3 within the first few overs.
They could have been 33/4 had it not been for a no-ball from Money Grewal. But the excitement surrounding the match began long before the players took the field, and the talk of the town was one name — Virat Kohli.
The Indian cricket legend hadn’t played in the Ranji Trophy since November 2012, with his last appearance against Delhi coming in September 2013 when he led the team to the runners-up spot in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy.
Kohli, who had distanced himself from domestic cricket due to his international commitments, found himself back in the mix after recent policy changes by the BCCI, making his return to Delhi inevitable. And the fans let him know just how much it meant to them.
Even before the game began, a queue stretching over two kilometers had formed outside the stadium, with free entry like any other Ranji fixture. But this time, the atmosphere was electric, with fans arriving as early as 5 AM to ensure they wouldn’t miss the chance to see the highest active run-scorer in international cricket walk out from the pavilion named after him.
Broadcasters quickly arranged to stream the match, and within the first hour of play, over 20 lakh people tuned in, even though it was Railways batting first.
The fans have come out in huge numbers for the Delhi vs Railways match 👌👌
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 30, 2025
The Arun Jaitley Stadium is buzzing 🔥#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/IhwXam3F5T pic.twitter.com/ATCyjCAX1Y
For Delhi, the match was a must-win, sitting sixth in the Elite Group D standings, five points off the top two and three behind Railways. But despite the high stakes for the team, the buzz on Twitter and among fans was all about Kohli’s return.