Virat Kohli returns to the Delhi Ranji side after 13 years for the match against Delhi and Railways in the second leg of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season. Day 1 of this match, on January 30, saw unmatchable excitement as fans eagerly awaited his appearance. Long lines of fans, 2 km outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium early in the morning, hoped for early entry into the ground before the toss. On Day 1, an attendance of around 27,813 packed the stadium, with the Gautam Gambhir and Bishan Singh Bedi stands filled to over capacity, with many fans even standing on the rooftops to see their hero.

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27,813 People on the 1st day of a Ranji Trophy match between Railways and Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium .
All because of one man. 👑🐐#BharatArmy #COTI #viratkohli #ranjitrophy pic.twitter.com/e69nsn9XTU

— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) January 30, 2025

Delhi won the toss and decided to bowl first, with their favorite hero, Virat Kohli, seen on the field in the slip cordon. The crowd behind him showed immense support with loud cheers. Even though he wasn’t in full action, the chants by his name echoed throughout the stadium. At one point, Virat Kohli was seen reacting animatedly to the chants from the Delhi crowd. The fans were wanting to see their star in action, chanting, "Kohli ko bowling do!" Along with the "RCB" chants, Kohli is seen as enjoying the moment, with his animated reaction being a fun part of the atmosphere at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

'Kohli ko bowling do' chants at Arun Jaitley Stadium. 😂pic.twitter.com/TmrAJDDe3k

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 30, 2025

Virat Kohli is enjoying with the Delhi Crowd 🥰❤️🥹#ViratKohlipic.twitter.com/dgWow17kJc

— Viratians™ CR7 𝕏 (@vira_tians) January 30, 2025

Before this match, Virat Kohli's last appearance in the Ranji Trophy was in 2012, when he played against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad. After more than a decade, he made his return to the tournament in the 2024-25 season, representing Delhi once again.

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Virat Kohli is this time playing for the Delhi Ranji side under the captaincy of 25-year-old Ayush Badoni. Badoni has previously faced Kohli several times in the IPL, but this is the first time he is playing alongside him as the captain of the team. Before the match, Badoni expressed his excitement about the opportunity.