Virat Kohli Returns to Ranji Trophy as Delhi Elect to Bowl First Against Railways
Virat Kohli made his long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy after 12 years as Delhi won the toss and elected to bowl first against Railways in their Elite Group D match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
New Delhi: Virat Kohli made his long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy after 12 years as Delhi won the toss and elected to bowl first against Railways in their Elite Group D match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
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Kohli’s last appearance in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi came in November 2012 against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad. Following the BCCI’s policy encouraging Indian players to participate in domestic cricket when possible, Kohli is once again donning the Delhi colors in the prestigious tournament.
Delhi’s Slim Chances for Knockouts
Kohli’s return comes at a crucial time for Delhi, who sit at sixth place with 14 points in the standings. The team has a slim mathematical chance of progressing to the Ranji Trophy knockouts and needs an outright win over fourth-ranked Railways to keep their hopes alive. However, even a win might not be enough to secure their place in the next stage.
Fans Flock to the Stadium to See Kohli in Action
The excitement surrounding Kohli’s return to the domestic circuit has been palpable. Security officials at the stadium reported that fans started lining up outside as early as 3 AM to catch a glimpse of the cricket star. With the overwhelming crowd chanting for Kohli and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) sources confirmed that Gate Number 18 was opened after the initial gates (16 and 17) reached full capacity.
Changes in Delhi and Railways’ Playing XIs
For Delhi, Kohli comes in for Jonty Sidhu, while Pranav Rajvanshi replaces Rishabh Pant, and pacer Money Grewal makes his entry in place of left-arm spinner Harsh Tyagi.
Railways will be led by Suraj Ahuja, who is standing in for regular captain Pratham Singh, who is unavailable due to injury.
Playing XIs
Delhi: Sanat Sangwan, Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, Virat Kohli, Ayush Badoni (c), Pranav Rajvanshi (wk), Sumit Mathur, Shivam Sharma, Navdeep Saini, Money Grewal, and Siddhant Sharma.
Railways: Anchit Yadav, Vivek Singh, Mohammad Saif, Suraj Ahuja (c), Upendra Yadav (wk), Bhargav Merai, Karn Sharma, Ayan Chaudhary, Himanshu Sangwan, Kunal Yadav, and Rahul Sharma.
