Virat Kohli clean bowled cheaply by Himanshu Sangwan on Ranji Trophy return

Virat Kohli was dismissed cheaply on his return to Ranji Trophy as he was clean-bowled by Himanshu Sangwan for just six runs off 15 runs on Friday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The Delhi vs Railways game is Kohli’s first domestic cricket match since 2012.

Kohli, who had a horrible run in Australia, was looking to rediscover his form with a return to the Ranji Trophy but his first innings knock was brought to an end quickly as Sangwan got the ball to move in and uproot the former Indian captain’s off stump.

The dismissal came as a big shock for over 10,000 fans who were present in the Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch Kohli’s return to domestic cricket.

King Kohli given warm welcome by fans

However, earlier on Day 2 of the match, the atmosphere at the Arun Jaitley Stadium felt like a scene from an international match as over 10,000 fans cheered in unison while Kohli walked towards the middle to bat. Kohli, batting at No. 4, took the crease after Delhi lost Yash Dhull on Friday morning.

Here' the Kohli's Wicket, Bowled! #ViratKohli #ViratKohli𓃵 pic.twitter.com/p4bAyrArNs

— Lunaticanonymous (@Lunaticanonymus) January 31, 2025

As the former India captain walked out to bat on Day 2 of the Delhi vs Railways match, the crowd erupted in cheers, with chants of “Kohli, Kohli” reverberating around the stadium. The total online viewership of the match also crossed 1 crore, as millions of fans across India tuned in to watch Kohli bat in domestic cricket for the first time in over 12 years.

The last time Kohli played a domestic match was the Delhi vs Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy match in 2012 in Ghaziabad. In fact, the ongoing Delhi vs Railways match was not a part of the broadcast programme list but the BCCI was forced to arrange the live streaming of the match due to Kohli’s return to domestic cricket.

According to media reports, over 15,000 fans turned up on Day 1 to witness Kohli’s return to the Delhi Ranji team. Thousands of them lined up outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium gates as early as 5 am IST to gain entry.

The Day 1 of Kohli’s return also witnessed a security breach as a fan evaded security and managed to meet Kohli. He also touched the star cricketer’s feet before he was taken away by the guards.

With his return to the Ranji Trophy, Kohli is hoping to get back to form before the Champions Trophy 2025. He scored just 190 runs in nine innings in Australia. India lost the five-match series 3-1.