![How Delhi crowd celebrated Virat Kohli's return to Ranji Trophy How Delhi crowd celebrated Virat Kohli's return to Ranji Trophy](https://i.cdn.newsbytesapp.com/images/l13020250130101816.jpeg)
How Delhi crowd celebrated Virat Kohli's return to Ranji Trophy
What's the story
Indian cricket star Virat Kohli made a glorious return to the Ranji Trophy on Thursday, January 30.
The match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, was Kohli's first in the prestigious tournament after a gap of 12 years.
Delhi are up against Railways in the game, with Kohli playing for his home team.
Kohli, the star Indian batter, was greeted by a huge crowd of fans who came early to see their favorite cricketer in action.
Fan support
Fans chant 'RCB, RCB' as Kohli takes the field
As Kohli was set to take the field, fans broke into chants of 'RCB, RCB,' a reflection of his long association with the Royal Challengers Bangaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The 36-year-old cricketer had joined RCB in 2008 after having led India to victory in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
He has been an inseparable part of this IPL franchise ever since.
Previous performance
Kohli's last Ranji Trophy appearance was in 2012
Kohli's last Ranji Trophy appearance was in 2012, against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad, where he managed scores of 14 and 43 in his side's two innings respectively.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has played 155 First-Class matches, amassing 11,479 runs across 258 innings at an average of 48.23. His tally includes 37 tons and 39 fifties.
Notably, 9,230 of his runs have come for India in Test cricket.
Special preparations
DDCA makes special arrangements for Kohli's return
In anticipation of Kohli's comeback to the Ranji Trophy, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has made special preparations.
As per The Indian Express, in a first, the DDCA has announced free public entry for the Ranji Trophy match. The only requirement? Fans must present their Aadhaar card at the entrance.
Jio Cinema, which wasn't originally scheduled to air the match live, is now telecasting the same.