
Courtesy: Google
Ashok Sharma, the secretary of Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), hailed former India captain Virat Kohli for his ability to pull a big crowd on his return to Ranji Trophy during a clash against Railways on Thursday, January 30. He was left flabbergasted at the scene in and around the Arun Jaitley Stadium on the first day of the Ranji Trophy contest, with many reports suggesting that more than 15,000 fans showed up to watch Virat Kohli in-person.
Notably, the fans flocked in high numbers on the first morning of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match for Virat Kohli despite PM Narendra Modi’s cavalcade going past the Arun Jaitley Stadium at the same time. After captain Ayush Badoni won the toss and decided to field first, Virat Kohli made his way out to the middle as a Delhi player for the first-time in nearly 13 years, to a rousing reception from the crowd.
It just shows the Kohli’s popularity is unmatched: Ashok Sharma
The first day’s play was quite a competitive one with Delhi bundling out Railways for just 241 runs in their first innings in 67.3 overs despite the sixth wicket stand of 104 runs between half-centurions Upendra Yadav and Karn Sharma. During the third and final session of play, Delhi lost one wicket for 41 runs with Sanat Sangwan and Yash Dhull at the crease before stumps were called, and now, it is highly likely that Virat Kohli, who is slated to bat next, gets his chance tomorrow morning.
In his exclusive interview to PTI, the secretary of the DDCA, Ashok Sharma, had high regards for Virat Kohli on his return to Delhi in domestic cricket after more than a decade, and he was quoted as saying, “I have been involved in Delhi cricket for more than 30 years but I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy game. It just shows the Kohli’s popularity is unmatched.”
Ashok Sharma also spoke about the challenges faced by the DDCA in getting as much crowd as possible inside the Arun Jaitley Stadium for Virat Kohli’s homecoming. He remarked, “What made it more challenging was that fans entering the stadium coincided with the VIP movement of PM Modi on the outside roads and as part of his strict security protocol and to maintain order, we were instructed by the police to open another stand for the public.”