Virat Kohli is a huge star, and his fans love him. His popularity makes every game feel special, even a normal match in the Ranji Trophy. Kids skip school, and many people take off work just to see him play. In Delhi, fans don’t often get to see Kohli in Test matches. In his 14 years playing Tests, he has only played four times at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. This year, there are no Test matches scheduled there, so the chance to see him play in a red-ball game seemed very unlikely.
Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided that top players like Kohli should play in domestic matches. This was a big chance for Delhi fans, who eagerly grabbed it. When it was announced that Kohli would play in a Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways, the excitement was unmatchable. Fans cheered loudly just hearing his name, and many rushed to get seats.
The Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) expected around 10,000 fans for Kohli’s big return, which is already a lot for a domestic match. However, even before the game started at 9:30 AM, many more fans showed up, eager to watch him play. Some boys from Burari, calling themselves the “Northern Boys,” were excitedly buying Kohli’s jersey. One of them, Ganesh, said, “Who watches Ranji? We are here for Kohli.”
As fans lined up outside the stadium, the DDCA first opened a section with 6,000 seats. But so many people came that they quickly opened another section that could hold 11,000 people. A former Indian player at the game said he had never seen such a crowd for a Ranji Trophy match, and an amazed DDCA secretary, Ashok Sharma, said he had been involved in cricket for over 30 years but never witnessed anything like this. Kohli is sure to play again on Day 2, and more fans are expected to come.
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