Virat Kohli‘s day in the Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium began unexpectedly, but ended on a high. After being dismissed for 6 off 15 balls on his return to the Ranji Trophy after 12 years, Kohli was honored by the DDCA after play on Friday.
He became only the third player from the team, after Virender Sehwag and Ishant Sharma, to play over 100 Tests for India. Among those present was Kohli’s childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, who received a heartfelt gesture from Kohli as he touched his feet and embraced him before the ceremony.
Kohli, who had played just 10 Tests the last time he featured in the Ranji Trophy, now boasts 123 Tests and is regarded as one of the world’s premier batters. To celebrate his remarkable career, DDCA president Arun Jaitley presented Kohli with a shawl and a special trophy, while DDCA officials and Delhi cricketers applauded.
Kohli, deeply moved, took a long, reflective gaze at the memento. You can watch the video here:
https://x.com/kohlistic18/status/1885290389394829433?s=46
Sangwan Shatters Kohli’s Return with Early Dismissal in Ranji Trophy
The 5000-strong crowd that gathered to watch Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji Trophy had their excitement cut short when he was dismissed for 6 off 15 balls. Kohli’s off-stump was knocked over by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan in the 28th over of Delhi’s first innings, prompting many fans to quickly leave the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The chants of ‘RCB, RCB’ and ‘Kohli, Kohli’ faded as the star walked back to the dressing room, giving Sangwan the most significant wicket of his career. In preparation for his first domestic red-ball match since 2012, Kohli had worked with coach Sanjay Bangar to address issues from the Australia tour.
Kohli struggled with balls outside the off-stump during his Australia tour, and it was that weakness that caught him again in his return match. After Yash Dhull’s dismissal, Kohli received a loud reception and faced left-arm pacer Rahul Sharma, who overstepped twice.
Kohli then played and missed at two deliveries from medium pacer Kunal Yadav outside the off-stump. Attempting to assert himself against Sangwan, Kohli hit a boundary but was then dismissed trying an expansive drive off a good-length delivery, missing completely as his off-stump was shattered.
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