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A dramatic moment unfolded at the Arun Jaitley Stadium as a fan breached security and rushed onto the field to meet Virat Kohli during his highly anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy. Playing for Delhi against Railways in his first Ranji appearance in 13 years, Kohli attracted a massive crowd, with fans filling the stands well before the toss--an unusual sight in Indian domestic cricket.
As Delhi's opening bowlers, Navdeep Saini and Siddhant Sharma, had Railways struggling at 21/3, the enthusiastic fan managed to evade security and reach Kohli, touching his feet in reverence. Security personnel quickly intervened and escorted the intruder off the field, but Kohli, in a heartwarming gesture, requested them to go easy on the fan and avoid any harsh treatment. This marked Kohli's first Ranji Trophy appearance since 2012, when he played in a high-profile clash against Uttar Pradesh featuring stars like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Mohammad Kaif, Praveen Kumar, and Piyush Chawla. The turnout at Arun Jaitley Stadium underscores the impact Kohli continues to have on Indian cricket, even in domestic tournaments. His presence has breathed new life into the Ranji Trophy. The Delhi-Railways clash is all set to be a must-watch clash as Virat will grind it out in Delhi jersey as he continues his journey towards redemption in the longest format. After years of breaking records, securing memorable wins as a captain and setting new benchmarks in Indian cricket, the 36-year-old has taken a humble refuge in domestic cricket to rediscover the consistency that set him apart from other players. Ahead of the match, Virat had a two-day practice session with his Delhi teammates, a team led by young Ayush Badoni. During the practice, Virat clearly had the time of his life bonding with his new teammates, out of which plenty must have had grown up watching his heroics on the field. In gruelling and intense batting net sessions, Virat was seen tackling issues affecting his Test game, be it spin bowling, the deliveries outside his off-stump and an increasing variety of backfoot shots, with a lot of clarity and detail along with his teammates and head coach Sarandeep Singh. Virat has been facing a massive decline in his Test performances that dates back to the start of 2020. In 39 Test matches since the start of 2020, Virat has scored just 2,028 runs at an average of 30.72, with just three centuries and nine fifties to show. His best score is 186. Virat ended the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with 751 runs in 14 matches and 25 innings at an average of 32.65, with two centuries and three fifties. His best score was 121. In 10 Tests last year, he scored just 417 runs at an average of 24.52 with just one century and fifty, to conclude a disappointing year. With a hope to rediscover the hunger and tools needed to have a lengthy, one last purple patch in Test cricket, Virat's return to Ranji marks a massive moment in Indian cricket in recent times as the domestic scene has not witnessed a lot of superstars going back to the basics, to the roots of their superstardom. The 36-year-old's last appearance in Ranji was back in November 2012 against Uttar Pradesh, in which he was dismissed for 14 and 42 runs in both innings by pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The 2006/07 Ranji season was Virat's first-ever appearance in the competition. The batter did rather decently, scoring 257 runs in six matches and nine innings at an average of 36.71, with a best score of 90 and two half-centuries. The next season in 2007/08 was statistically a better outing for Virat, as he scored 373 runs in five matches and eight innings at an average of 53.28, with two centuries and a best score of 169 but inconsistency was a big issue for the batter as he managed 98 runs in six innings in which he did not cross the fifty-run mark. The 2008-09 was a solid season for Virat, as he scored 174 runs in five innings and four games, an average of 34.80, with two fifties and a best score of 83. The next two seasons 2009/10 and 2010/11 were breakthrough seasons for the batter, which combined with his brilliant international white-ball performances, helped him earn the Indian Test cap in 2011. In the 2009/10 season, he scored 374 runs in three matches and six innings at an average of 93.50, with a century and two fifties. His best score was 145. He followed this with 339 runs in four matches and six innings at an average of 56.50, with two centuries and a best score of 173. The 2012/13 season saw him play just one game against UP, in which he scored a total of 56 runs. Overall in his Ranji career, Virat has scored 1,573 runs at an average of 50.77, with five centuries and six fifties in 23 matches. Fans would no doubt, love to see the superstar batter back in Delhi clothing once again, as he seeks another peak in Test cricket after years of struggle and inconsistency. Meanwhile, in another Ranji Trophy fixture, Mumbai's Shardul Thakur delivered a sensational opening spell against Meghalaya at the BKC Ground, claiming a hat-trick. (ANI)
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