Ranji Trophy, Delhi vs Railways: What happened on Day 1?
What's the story
The first day of the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways was defined by Upendra Yadav's gritty knock of 95 and Virat Kohli's much-awaited return to domestic cricket after 12 long years.
Despite early breakthroughs by Delhi pacers, a vital partnership between Upendra Yadav and Karn Sharma (50 off 105) helped Railways reach 241 in their first innings.
Meanwhile, Delhi ended the day at 41/1 in 10 overs, while fans await to see Kohli bat on Day 2.
Early dominance
Delhi pacers dominate early, Yadav-Sharma partnership steadies Railways
Delhi's pace trio—Navdeep Saini, Siddhant Sharma, and Money Grewal—reduced Railways to 66 for five in the first session.
However, a crucial 104-run partnership between Yadav and Sharma for the sixth wicket stabilized the innings.
Meanwhile, this partnership proved instrumental in countering Delhi's early dominance and setting a competitive total for Railways.
Crowd magnet
Kohli's return draws record crowd to Ranji Trophy match
Kohli's presence in the match added an extra spark, energizing both teams and drawing a record Ranji Trophy crowd of over 15,000 spectators.
His intensity was at its peak all day long, be it standing at second slip for the pacers or moving to cover.
He often interacted with the crowd, keeping the energy levels up and received thunderous applause every time he returned to the field after brief breaks.
Momentum shift
Saini swings momentum back in Delhi's favor
Saini displayed his perseverance in the afternoon session, breaking the important sixth-wicket stand in the 53rd over.
He dismissed Sharma, caught at fine leg after a rash slog, and trapped Ayan Chaudhari (LBW) on the very next delivery.
This swing of momentum was back in Delhi's favor before tea left Railways at 182 for seven.
Earlier in the day, Saini had bowled opener Vivek Singh with a sharp seaming delivery.
Anticipation builds
Mathur cleans up tail, Kohli's batting awaited
Left-arm spinner Sumit Mathur cleaned up the tail, drawing cheers from the crowd eagerly waiting for Kohli's turn to bat.
Meanwhile, Saini and Grewal bowled 18 and 17 overs respectively, while Siddhant Sharma was used sparingly with just nine overs.
At stumps, Delhi stand at 41 for one (10 overs), while Yash Dhull (17 off 25) and Sanat Sangwan (nine off 28) remain unbeaten.
Additionally, the anticipation is now building for Day 2 when Kohli will walk out to bat.