In a significant development for Indian domestic cricket, Virat Kohli trained at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Tuesday ahead of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy clash against Railways, set to begin on Friday. This match marks Kohli’s first Ranji Trophy appearance since 2012, following the BCCI’s directive making domestic cricket participation mandatory for India’s top players.
While domestic cricket rarely attracts massive fan interest, Kohli’s return has sparked considerable media attention. Journalists and camerapersons gathered in large numbers outside the Virender Sehwag Gate, prompting additional security deployment at the stadium.
Kohli Declines Captaincy, Supports Ayush Badoni
Despite being offered the captaincy for this crucial fixture, Kohli declined the role, allowing Ayush Badoni to continue leading the side.
A Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) official confirmed, ‘Virat was offered the captaincy, but he expressed his support for Ayush to continue leading the side.’
This gesture follows a similar decision by Rishabh Pant, who also refused the captaincy in Delhi’s previous Ranji game against Saurashtra.
BCCI & JioCinema to Live-Stream the Match
Given the immense fan interest, the BCCI and JioCinema have decided to live-stream the match. Initially, the domestic broadcasters had planned to televise only Karnataka vs Haryana (featuring KL Rahul) as the main fixture, with Punjab vs Bengal and Baroda vs Jammu & Kashmir scheduled only for live streaming.
However, after a massive uproar on social media regarding the absence of Kohli’s return match from the broadcast lineup, the BCCI stepped in to ensure live coverage.
A BCCI official confirmed, ‘The decision has been made—JioCinema will live-stream the game. So, Virat Kohli fans outside Delhi need not worry; they can watch their favorite player live.’
What to Expect from Kohli’s Comeback?
Kohli’s return to domestic cricket is expected to bring a fresh wave of enthusiasm to the Ranji Trophy. Fans will be eager to see how the modern-day great adapts to the red-ball format at the domestic level after years of international dominance.
With Delhi set to host Railways, all eyes will be on Kohli as he looks to make an impact and inspire young domestic cricketers while getting some valuable match practice ahead of India’s crucial ODI and Test assignments.
