A massive crowd gathered outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday as the Delhi cricket team took on Railways in their Ranji Trophy encounter. The frenzy, however, was not just for the domestic clash but largely for one man--Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli’s long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy sparked massive excitement in Delhi, with thousands of fans queuing up outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium from as early as 5 AM. The chants of ‘RCB,

Virat Kohli is set to make a highly anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy after nearly 13 years. Kohli is using Delhi’s clash against Railways as preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy. The last time Kohli played in the prestigious domestic tournament was back in 2012 under the captaincy of Virender Sehwag.

Virat Kohli arrived at the Ferozeshah Kotla early for a rigorous training session ahead of Delhi's Ranji Trophy match against Railways, demonstrating

Preparations were being made to telecast the game, more stands than usual were being readied for fans, and players on both sides were excited to be part of his first Ranji Trophy game since 2012

Ahead of his return to Ranji Trophy, Virat Kohli had an intense training session with the Delhi squad and interacted with the players during the practice session. It was reported that Kohli declined captaincy offer by Delhi selection committee and agreed to play under the leadership of Ayush Badoni.

A wave of excitement swept through Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday morning as fans began to gather at the venue as early as 5 AM, eager to witness the return of Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli to the Ranji Trophy.

Kuldeep Yadav has been included in the Indian team for the 2025 Champions Trophy and the forthcoming three-match ODI series against England.