NEW DELHI: Even before the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways could begin, hundreds of fans gathered at the Arjun Jaitley Stadium to witness Virat Kohli make his maiden domestic red-ball appearance in 13 years, showcasing the superstar’s unrivaled aura.
For Kohli’s homecoming, the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) had predicted a crowd of about 10,000, which is unusual for a Ranji Trophy match. However, his magnetic pull was so strong that even those high-minded calculations were thrown for a loop.
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Even before the game began at 9.30 am local time, Kohli’s fans were vying for entry into the stadium.
The DDCA initially let spectators into the roughly 6,000-seat ‘Gautam Gambhir Stand,’ but after realizing that the gathering might go out of control, officials were compelled to open the 14,000-seat ‘Bishan Bedi Stand.’
The lower tier of the ‘Bishan Bedi Stand’ was quickly filled, while the ‘Gautam Gambhir Stand’ was already crammed to capacity, pushing the total number of attendees well over 12,000 at the time of the toss.
As the former India captain took the field among the other Delhi teammates, who were also feeling something special, the thunderous cries of “Kohli, Kohli” reverberated in the stadium.