GUWAHATI: Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated comeback to the Ranji Trophy was brief, lasting only 15 deliveries on the second day of Delhi’s league-stage clash against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday. Stepping onto the field to roaring cheers from the home crowd, Kohli struggled to settle in before being bowled by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan.
Attempting to drive an incoming delivery that landed on the fuller side of a good length, Kohli played an uncharacteristic cross-batted stroke. However, the ball stayed slightly low, sneaking past his bat to crash into the off-stump. Earlier in his short stay at the crease, Kohli was repeatedly beaten by pace in the corridor outside the off-stump—a weakness that had troubled him in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
His dismissal triggered a mini-collapse for Delhi, with opener Sanat Sangwan also falling to Himanshu in the bowler’s next over. By the 30th over, Delhi had stumbled to 103 for four, trailing Railways’ first-innings total by 141 runs.
Kohli’s departure stunned the crowd into silence, with many fans choosing to exit the stadium along with the former India captain, who made his way back to the dugout in the Virat Kohli Pavilion. Enthusiastic supporters had begun gathering outside the venue as early as 6:30 am, hours before the gates were opened. This was Kohli’s first appearance for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy since November 2012, when he played a one-off match against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.
Since making his Ranji Trophy debut in November 2006 against Tamil Nadu, Kohli has played 23 matches in India’s premier domestic red-ball competition. While he managed only 10 runs in his debut innings, he went on to score five centuries and five fifties in the following 22 matches, amassing 1,574 runs at an average of 50.77. His highest Ranji score came in Delhi in November 2010, when he struck a 267-ball 173 against Bengal while batting at number three.
