Fans fill stadium for Virat Kohli's first domestic match in 12 years

In Delhi, India's capital, thousands of fans flocked to the stadium to welcome Virat Kohli back to the domestic cricket scene after a 12-year absence. The 36-year-old star batsman represented Delhi in the Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.

Kohli's return stems from a directive from the Board of Control for Cricket in India, requiring contracted players to participate in domestic cricket following India's 1-3 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This comes as Kohli has also been struggling with his personal form in Test cricket, with the former India captain finding it difficult to maintain consistency in recent years.

Kohli, one of India's greatest batsmen, redefined modern batting with his aggressive and technically proficient style. He has amassed over 27,000 runs in all forms of international cricket and has been a mainstay of India's middle order for over a decade. However, his form in red-ball cricket has declined in recent years. Kohli averaged 54.97 in Test cricket before 2019, but this has dropped to 30.72 since 2020, and just 22.47 in his last 10 Tests. Since the start of 2024, his average of 23.2 is the ninth-lowest among players with at least 10 innings.

Kohli's return to domestic cricket has generated significant excitement, with fans and experts eager to see if this move can help him rediscover his form. Domestic cricket refers to professional matches played within a country, with teams representing states, regions, or clubs. These competitions, such as the Ranji Trophy, are held during the cricket season. However, due to the congested international cricket schedule, many top players, including Kohli, have prioritized international matches and the lucrative Indian Premier League over domestic cricket.

Large crowds gathered outside the stadium on Tuesday after news broke that Kohli would be joining the Delhi team for pre-match training. Reports suggest that even television and YouTube journalists, rarely seen at domestic matches, were present. "He joined his Delhi teammates for a football session, laughter, and a 100m sprint before hitting the nets," ESPNcricinfo reported. Long queues reportedly formed outside the stadium as fans were allowed free entry to watch the match. Akash Kumar told news agency ANI that he had been outside the stadium for almost five hours before the start of the match, and he had never seen so many spectators at a domestic match.

Delhi captain Ayush Badoni said that everyone in the team was "excited and motivated" by Kohli's presence. Railways captain Pratham Singh said that seeing Kohli was inspiring and that they would be "more motivated to perform better in this game." Fans will have to wait a bit to see Kohli bat, as Delhi won the toss and chose to bowl first. India's red-ball domestic Ranji Trophy season runs from January 5 to March 10, with 32 teams participating.

Kohli made his domestic debut in 2006 at the age of 18, scoring just 10 runs in his first match. Over the next six years, he scored 5 centuries and 5 half-centuries for Delhi. His last domestic appearance was in 2012. Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.