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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>&rsquo;s much-anticipated return to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> after a gap of more than 12 years, turned into a bittersweet spectacle for cricket fans.<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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The Delhi crowd gathered in large numbers at the iconic venue, their excitement palpable as one of India&rsquo;s greatest cricketers strode out to bat under the blazing sun.<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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For Himanshu Sangwan, this was a moment of immense significance, but not an unfamiliar one. Known for his knack for dismantling high-profile batting line-ups, Sangwan has built a reputation as a giant slayer in domestic cricket. The 29-year-old seamer from Delhi first announced himself in dramatic fashion back in 2019 during a Ranji Trophy match at the historic Wankhede Stadium.<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-day-2-virat-kohli-wicket-video-bowled-by-himanshu-sangwan-for-six-runs-8677121">Delhi vs Railways, Ranji Trophy: WATCH | Virat Kohli bowled for 6 on return</a> 
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On that day, Sangwan delivered one of Railways&rsquo; most celebrated victories, taking six wickets to engineer a 10-wicket triumph over Mumbai. Among his victims were Indian stalwarts Ajinkya Rahane and Prithvi Shaw.<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Himanshu was born on September 2, 1995, in Delhi&rsquo;s Najafgarh area, the same locality which also was home to veteran batter Virender Sehwag.&nbsp;<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Sangwan began his professional cricketing journey in 2019, making his List A debut during the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/vijay-hazare">Vijay Hazare Trophy</a>. Shortly after, he debuted in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on November 8, 2019, and capped the year with his first Ranji Trophy appearance on December 9. <span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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In first-class cricket, Sangwan has played 23 matches, picking 77 wickets at an average of 19.92 and an economy rate of 3.02. His disciplined bowling and ability to adapt to different conditions have made him a reliable asset for the Railways team. In List A cricket, Sangwan has taken 21 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 5.28 and an average of 34.71.<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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In the past, he has worked as a ticket collector at the New Delhi Railway Station. He also trained at the MRF Pace Foundation, where he was coached under Aussie legend Glenn McGrath.<span class="EOP SCXW107629700 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:279}">&nbsp;
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Sports, Cricket: He has worked as a ticket collector at the New Delhi Railway Station. He also trained at MRF Pace Foundation, where he was coached under Australia's Glenn McGrath. 

Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy after a gap of more than 12 years, turned into a bittersweet spectacle for cricket fans. The Delhi crowd gathered in large numbers at the iconic venue, their excitement palpable as one of India’s greatest cricketers strode out to bat under the blazing sun. For Himanshu Sangwan, this was a moment of immense significance, but not an unfamiliar one. Known for his knack for dismantling high-profile batting line-ups, Sangwan has built a reputation as a giant slayer in domestic cricket. The 29-year-old seamer from Delhi first announced himself in dramatic fashion back in 2019 during a Ranji Trophy match at the historic Wankhede Stadium. Also Read: Delhi vs Railways, Ranji Trophy: WATCH | Virat Kohli bowled for 6 on return On that day, Sangwan delivered one of Railways’ most celebrated victories, taking six wickets to engineer a 10-wicket triumph over Mumbai. Among his victims were Indian stalwarts Ajinkya Rahane and Prithvi Shaw. Himanshu was born on September 2, 1995, in Delhi’s Najafgarh area, the same locality which also was home to veteran batter Virender Sehwag. Sangwan began his professional cricketing journey in 2019, making his List A debut during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Shortly after, he debuted in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on November 8, 2019, and capped the year with his first Ranji Trophy appearance on December 9. In first-class cricket, Sangwan has played 23 matches, picking 77 wickets at an average of 19.92 and an economy rate of 3.02. His disciplined bowling and ability to adapt to different conditions have made him a reliable asset for the Railways team. In List A cricket, Sangwan has taken 21 wickets in 17 matches at an economy rate of 5.28 and an average of 34.71. In the past, he has worked as a ticket collector at the New Delhi Railway Station. He also trained at the MRF Pace Foundation, where he was coached under Aussie legend Glenn McGrath.

Who is Himanshu Sangwan, Railways pacer who silenced Arun Jaitley Stadium after dismissing King Kohli on Ranji Trophy return

Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy return lasted only for 15 balls as his off-stump was sent cart-wheeling for a personal score of six runs on day 2 of the Delhi vs Railways match on Friday (Jan 31).&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Kohli</a>, who is playing his first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> match in over 12 years, was given a standing ovation by the crowd at Arun Jaitley stadium as he came on to bat but the dream for fans didn't last long.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/delhi-vs-railways-day-2-live-score-virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-updates-liveblog-8676636" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Delhi vs Railways Day 2, Ranji Trophy Latest Updates</a>
Himanshu Sangwan had been hit for a four down the ground on a slightly fuller ball. The Railways bowler immediately corrected his length and the next ball went through the gate of Kohli's defence - uprooting his off-stump. Have a look at the wicket below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Virat Kohli scored more than expected. If this is their condition in Ranji, they should retire Asap. <a href="https://t.co/5gBKICySJF">pic.twitter.com/5gBKICySJF</a>
&mdash; Facts (@BefittingFacts) <a href="https://twitter.com/BefittingFacts/status/1885213047599276198?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Delhi vs Railways Match Update - Day 2</h2>
Delhi started the day from the overnight score of 41/1, trailing by 200 runs in the first innings. Overnight batters Yash Dhull and Sanat Sangwan batted well and added 67 runs for the second wicket before Dhull was dismissed on 32.
Railways pacer Rahul Sharma trapped Dhull LBW in the 24th over of the innings. The ball looked going above the stumps but the on-field umpire decided otherwise and gave Dhull out, much to his dismay.
Kohli then walked in to bat to a thunderous roar of the crowd which started leaving as soon as the India star was dismissed. Sangwan dismissed Sanat in his next over, bringing Delhi to four down for less than 100 runs.
Skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ayush-badoni">Ayush Badoni</a> then got support from Sumit Mathur and steadied the innings. The duo added 71 unbeaten runs for the fifth wicket with Badoni reaching his 50 as well while Mathur scored 28 by the time the first session came to an end.
By lunch on day 2, Delhi were trailing by 73 runs in the first innings having finished the first session at 168/4 with Badoni looking solid for them.

Delhi vs Railways, Ranji Trophy: Kohli, making his return to domestic cricket after 13 years, scored only six runs before being bowled on day 2. Sports Cricket

Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy return lasted only for 15 balls as his off-stump was sent cart-wheeling for a personal score of six runs on day 2 of the Delhi vs Railways match on Friday (Jan 31). Kohli, who is playing his first Ranji Trophy match in over 12 years, was given a standing ovation by the crowd at Arun Jaitley stadium as he came on to bat but the dream for fans didn't last long. Also Read: Delhi vs Railways Day 2, Ranji Trophy Latest Updates Himanshu Sangwan had been hit for a four down the ground on a slightly fuller ball. The Railways bowler immediately corrected his length and the next ball went through the gate of Kohli's defence - uprooting his off-stump. Have a look at the wicket below: Virat Kohli scored more than expected. If this is their condition in Ranji, they should retire Asap. pic.twitter.com/5gBKICySJF — Facts (@BefittingFacts) January 31, 2025 Delhi vs Railways Match Update - Day 2 Delhi started the day from the overnight score of 41/1, trailing by 200 runs in the first innings. Overnight batters Yash Dhull and Sanat Sangwan batted well and added 67 runs for the second wicket before Dhull was dismissed on 32. Railways pacer Rahul Sharma trapped Dhull LBW in the 24th over of the innings. The ball looked going above the stumps but the on-field umpire decided otherwise and gave Dhull out, much to his dismay. Kohli then walked in to bat to a thunderous roar of the crowd which started leaving as soon as the India star was dismissed. Sangwan dismissed Sanat in his next over, bringing Delhi to four down for less than 100 runs. Skipper Ayush Badoni then got support from Sumit Mathur and steadied the innings. The duo added 71 unbeaten runs for the fifth wicket with Badoni reaching his 50 as well while Mathur scored 28 by the time the first session came to an end. By lunch on day 2, Delhi were trailing by 73 runs in the first innings having finished the first session at 168/4 with Badoni looking solid for them.

Delhi vs Railways, Ranji Trophy: WATCH | Virat Kohli bowled for 6 on return

As <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/navdeep-saini">Navdeep Saini</a> walked towards the group of reporters, his eyes were beaming with confidence, and his stride was the kind that comes with a sense of purpose and joy. <o:p></o:p>
His broad smile and relaxed demeanour reflected the excitement of the day, one that had seen him deliver a brilliant performance with the ball on a charged-up opening day of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> match. The atmosphere around Arun Jaitley Stadium was electric, largely due to Virat Kohli&rsquo;s much-anticipated return to domestic cricket with Delhi, and Saini&rsquo;s energy was just as infectious.<o:p></o:p>
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sl-vs-aus-galle-test-sri-lanka-lose-three-quick-wickets-after-australia-declare-on-654-6-8675605">SL vs AUS, Galle Test: Sri Lanka lose three quick wickets after Australia declare on 654-6</a>
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>&rsquo;s much-anticipated return to domestic cricket through the Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways sparked an electric atmosphere at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. For pacer Navdeep Saini, who claimed 3-62 on day one, the excitement was palpable.<o:p></o:p>
&ldquo;Look, it&rsquo;s a big deal for me too, playing alongside Kohli. He&rsquo;s a legend. Just being in the dressing room with him lifts the whole team&rsquo;s energy. Over the past two days, our practice sessions have been a different vibe. His energy is so high that it lifts everyone around him. He&rsquo;s so involved on the field, always talking to the bowlers and the captain,&rdquo; shared Saini.<o:p></o:p>
&ldquo;Kohli gives 110% in everything&mdash;whether he&rsquo;s batting, fielding, or in the gym. Watching him train pushes you to follow his lead. That kind of effort carries over to the match itself. We didn&rsquo;t expect such a huge crowd, but when we walked into the ground this morning, the queue was so long that we knew we were in for something special,&rdquo; Saini added, reflecting on the hype.<o:p></o:p>
Asked if there was pressure on the young Delhi players with such a large crowd in attendance, Saini replied, &ldquo;For the younger guys, it&rsquo;s a proud moment to share the dressing room with Virat. Whether you're fielding at slip with him or asking him for advice on how to improve your game, it&rsquo;s a golden opportunity to learn.&rdquo;<o:p></o:p>
A standout moment of the day came when Karn Sharma attempted a big shot but was caught brilliantly by Yash Dhull in the deep. Kohli was the first to applaud Dhull&rsquo;s effort, sparking a roar from the crowd, who immediately began chanting, &ldquo;Kohli, Kohli.&rdquo;<o:p></o:p>
<h2 class="MsoNormal">'Captain and I discussed the short-ball plan'</h2>
Reflecting on the game&rsquo;s strategy, Saini explained, "The captain and I discussed the short-ball plan, and Virat had a word with Badoni too. The pitch wasn&rsquo;t offering much, so we stayed patient. We knew bouncers could give us a chance for a wicket, even if we conceded some runs, and that&rsquo;s exactly what happened."<o:p></o:p>
Saini was also surprised by the pitch&rsquo;s behaviour after lunch, as it seemed to ease up despite having a greenish tinge earlier. &ldquo;The conditions in the morning were perfect for bowling, but the pitch played differently in the second session than we expected.&rdquo;<o:p></o:p>

Cricket Sports: Navdeep Saini was also surprised by the pitch’s behaviour after lunch session, as it seemed to ease up despite having a greenish tinge earlier

As Navdeep Saini walked towards the group of reporters, his eyes were beaming with confidence, and his stride was the kind that comes with a sense of purpose and joy. His broad smile and relaxed demeanour reflected the excitement of the day, one that had seen him deliver a brilliant performance with the ball on a charged-up opening day of the Ranji Trophy match. The atmosphere around Arun Jaitley Stadium was electric, largely due to Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated return to domestic cricket with Delhi, and Saini’s energy was just as infectious. Also Read: SL vs AUS, Galle Test: Sri Lanka lose three quick wickets after Australia declare on 654-6 Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated return to domestic cricket through the Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways sparked an electric atmosphere at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. For pacer Navdeep Saini, who claimed 3-62 on day one, the excitement was palpable. “Look, it’s a big deal for me too, playing alongside Kohli. He’s a legend. Just being in the dressing room with him lifts the whole team’s energy. Over the past two days, our practice sessions have been a different vibe. His energy is so high that it lifts everyone around him. He’s so involved on the field, always talking to the bowlers and the captain,” shared Saini. “Kohli gives 110% in everything—whether he’s batting, fielding, or in the gym. Watching him train pushes you to follow his lead. That kind of effort carries over to the match itself. We didn’t expect such a huge crowd, but when we walked into the ground this morning, the queue was so long that we knew we were in for something special,” Saini added, reflecting on the hype. Asked if there was pressure on the young Delhi players with such a large crowd in attendance, Saini replied, “For the younger guys, it’s a proud moment to share the dressing room with Virat. Whether you're fielding at slip with him or asking him for advice on how to improve your game, it’s a golden opportunity to learn.” A standout moment of the day came when Karn Sharma attempted a big shot but was caught brilliantly by Yash Dhull in the deep. Kohli was the first to applaud Dhull’s effort, sparking a roar from the crowd, who immediately began chanting, “Kohli, Kohli.” 'Captain and I discussed the short-ball plan' Reflecting on the game’s strategy, Saini explained, "The captain and I discussed the short-ball plan, and Virat had a word with Badoni too. The pitch wasn’t offering much, so we stayed patient. We knew bouncers could give us a chance for a wicket, even if we conceded some runs, and that’s exactly what happened." Saini was also surprised by the pitch’s behaviour after lunch, as it seemed to ease up despite having a greenish tinge earlier. “The conditions in the morning were perfect for bowling, but the pitch played differently in the second session than we expected.”

Ranji Trophy 2025: Kohli inspires, Saini delivers amid electric atmosphere

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in conjunction with the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/icc" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">ICC</a> will hold the opening ceremony of the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy</a> on February 16 in Lahore.
A source in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pcb" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">PCB</a> told PTI that chairman Mohsin Naqvi had approved a scheduled list of events prior to the first match of the tournament on February 19 at the National Stadium in Karachi between Pakistan and New Zealand.
The PCB will officially open the renovated Gaddafi Stadium on February 7, for which Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been invited as the chief guest.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-we-will-be-pcb-reiterates-as-uncertainty-looms-8668590" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">'We will be...': PCB reiterates as uncertainty looms aruond Champions Trophy</a>
On February 11, the PCB will launch the renovated National Stadium in Karachi with a ceremony in which President Asif Ali Zardari has been invited as the chief guest.
The source said the PCB and ICC were also working out the schedule of the captains' press conference and photoshoots. They are likely to be held in Lahore on February 16.
The opening ceremony is scheduled at Huzoori Bagh at the historic Lahore Fort, in which officials of different boards, celebrities, legends of the game, and government officials will be invited.
The ICC and PCB are yet to confirm if Indian captain Rohit Sharma would be travelling to Lahore for the events.
India will be playing their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai as part of a hybrid model deal between the ICC, PCB, and BCCI, and if they qualify for the final, then the title clash will also be held in the UAE city on March 9.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

On February 11, the PCB will launch the renovated National Stadium in Karachi with a ceremony in which President Asif Ali Zardari has been invited as the chief guest. Cricket SPorts

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in conjunction with the ICC will hold the opening ceremony of the upcoming Champions Trophy on February 16 in Lahore. A source in the PCB told PTI that chairman Mohsin Naqvi had approved a scheduled list of events prior to the first match of the tournament on February 19 at the National Stadium in Karachi between Pakistan and New Zealand. The PCB will officially open the renovated Gaddafi Stadium on February 7, for which Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been invited as the chief guest. Also Read: 'We will be...': PCB reiterates as uncertainty looms aruond Champions Trophy On February 11, the PCB will launch the renovated National Stadium in Karachi with a ceremony in which President Asif Ali Zardari has been invited as the chief guest. The source said the PCB and ICC were also working out the schedule of the captains' press conference and photoshoots. They are likely to be held in Lahore on February 16. The opening ceremony is scheduled at Huzoori Bagh at the historic Lahore Fort, in which officials of different boards, celebrities, legends of the game, and government officials will be invited. The ICC and PCB are yet to confirm if Indian captain Rohit Sharma would be travelling to Lahore for the events. India will be playing their Champions Trophy matches in Dubai as part of a hybrid model deal between the ICC, PCB, and BCCI, and if they qualify for the final, then the title clash will also be held in the UAE city on March 9. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Champions Trophy 2025: ICC, PCB to hold opening ceremony on Feb 16 in Lahore

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a> made his return to domestic cricket when he took the field with Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30). This was Kohli's first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> match for Delhi since 2012 when he played against Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of the match, his teammates were joyed by India star's presence who has more than 80 tons to his name in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.
Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni, the 25-year-old uncapped batter, also revealed Kohli's batting position and the India batter's advice to the team.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-what-are-you-saying-says-india-star-virat-kohli-when-offered-help-to-carry-kit-8668677" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">India star Virat Kohli when denies help to carry kit</a>
"He will bat at No. 4. He encouraged us to stay positive and express ourselves confidently," Badoni said on the eve of match against Railways as reported by news agency PTI.
"He will bat at No. 4. He encouraged us to stay positive and express ourselves confidently," Badoni said on the eve of match against Railways as reported by news agency PTI.
He is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams.
The participation comes in the wake of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci">Board of Control for Cricket in India</a> (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests.
<h2>Follow Virat Kohli Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Updates</h2>

Delhi end day 1 200 runs behind Railways first innings total. The fans who came to see Virat Kohli bat will have to another day as Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni chose to bowl after winning the toss.
Brief Scores: Delhi 41/1 trail by 200 runs vs Railways (241 all-out) in first innings
We'll be back tomorrow for day 2 od Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy updates.
This live blog has ended.

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: End of Day 1

Delhi bowls out Railways for 241 as Sumit Mathur takes two wickets in one over. Sangwan played some big shots after Upendra's wicket but failed to take his team past 250.
Railways: 241 (Upendra 95, Saini3/62 &amp; Mathur 3/20) in 1st innings

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Railways all-out for 241

Delhi finally manage to take out Upendra Yadav who scored a brilliant 95 before what appeared to be a lack on concentration as he tried to reach the 100 with a big shot. Delhi just two more wickets to complete the innings.
Railways: 229/8 in 66 overs (Sangwan 18, Rahul 0)

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Upendra falls for 95

Railways wicketkeeper Upendra Yadav has done extremly well here to take his team past 200 which was once reeling at 66/5. Upendra himself is in 80s and would be itching to make it big.
Railways: 202/7 in 61 overs (Upendra 84, Sangwan 6)

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Railways past 200

Navdeep Saini takes two wickets in two balls after Upendra and Karn complete their 100-run partnership and Karn reached his fifty. Railways now seven down.
Railways: 172/7 (Upendra 59, Sangwan 2) in 53 overs

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Navdeep Saini strikes for Delhi

Railways wicketkeeper Upendra Yadav scored a fifty and had added 90 runs with Karn Sharma as they recover from being 66/5 and cross the 150-run mark.
Railways: 156/5 (Upendra 56, Karn 40) in 49 overs&nbsp;

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Upendra fifty helps Railways recover

Mumbai all-rounder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shardul-thakur" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Shardul Thakur</a>&nbsp;rocked Meghalaya in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a>&nbsp;match on Thursday (Jan 30) with a hattrick. Shardul removed Balchander Anirudh, Sumit Kumar, Jaskirat Singh Sachdevaon on last three balls of the third over in first innings to complete his hattrick.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-mumbai-vs-meghalaya-watch-video-shardul-thakur-takes-hattrick-for-mumbai-8674030" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">WATCH HERE</a>

Ranji Trophy Live: Shardul Thakur takes hattrick for Mumbai

DDCA president Rohan Jaitely, while talking to WION's Jatin Verma at the stadium, called Virat Kohli's decision to play for Delhi a great moment.
"It is great for domestic cricket (Kohli turning up)," Jaitely said as around 15,000+ fans packed the Arun Jaitely stadium. "I also got request for passes which shows how big this game is," Jaitley added.

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: DDCA president hails the moment

The fan, which came from Gautam Gambhir stand as reported by WION's Jatin Verma from the stadium, ran towards&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a>&nbsp;who was fielding in slips. He went ahead at touched Kohli's feet before security arrived and took him away.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-video-virat-kohli-fan-breaches-security-and-runs-on-ground-to-meet-him-8673225" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Watch as it happened</a>

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Security breach by Kohli fan

The three quick wickets rocked Railwasy early but a partnership between Said and Upendra seems to be developing as they try and rebuild their innings.

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Railways try to build up after early wickets

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also posted a video of large crowd in Gautam Gambhir stand. Kohli, during the match, waved to fans and greeted them for the warm support received.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-chants-of-kohli-kohli-india-batter-greets-fans-in-comeback-match-8670047" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Watch Here</a>

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Amid chants of 'Kohli, Kohli' India batter greets fans in comeback match

Virat Kohli's stardom gripped the fans they stood in long lines to get entry in Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch their favorite local boy play in Delhi vs Railways&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a>&nbsp;match on Thursday (Jan 30).
The videos doing rounds on social media showed long queue outside entry gate of stadium for fans which was declared free by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-in-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-watch-video-huge-crowd-outside-stadium-in-kohlis-comeback-match-8669859" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">WATCH HERE</a>

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Huge crowd outside stadium to watch Kohli play

Here's the playing XI for both, Delhi and Railways in Virat Kohli's comeback Ranji Trophy match
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Here's a look at the Playing XIs of Delhi and Railways 👌👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanjiTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanjiTrophy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/IhwXam3F5T">https://t.co/IhwXam3F5T</a> <a href="https://t.co/sf1zRMFVFb">pic.twitter.com/sf1zRMFVFb</a>
&mdash; BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1884816631676948514?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Playing XI

After being asked to bat first, Railways were rocked early as they have already lost three quick wickets - three to be precise in less than seven overs for just 21 runs.

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Railways rocked early on

Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni won the toss and elected to field first against Railways in Virat Kohli's first domestic match since 2012.

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Railways bat first in Kohli's comeback match

During the practice session with Delhi team on January 28, Kohli met with old friends and one of the kids of those friends asked the India batter: "what one needs to do to become an Indian cricketer?"&nbsp;
Kohli's reply to the young kid was something the India batter has done himself over the years.&nbsp;
WATCH <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-delhi-team-chat-with-kid-video-gives-advice-to-work-hard-than-others-to-become-india-cricketer-8663989" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">KOHLI'S REPLY</a>

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Virat Kohli's advice to young kid to become India cricketer

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After 13 long years, the wait is finally over &ndash;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a>&nbsp;is set to make his much-anticipated return to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ranji&nbsp;</a>cricket, and&nbsp;there&rsquo;s&nbsp;no better place for it than the&nbsp;Arun Jaitley&nbsp;Stadium in Delhi.
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As winter slowly gives way to the crisp Delhi weather, fans are already buzzing with excitement, eager to&nbsp;witness&nbsp;the cricketing maestro in action once again on home soil. The atmosphere will be electric as passionate supporters&nbsp;are set to throng&nbsp;the stadium, with the cool, clear skies adding to the thrill of the occasion.&nbsp;The attention of fans thronging the stadium will be fixed on the talismanic Virat Kohli&rsquo;s batting performance in the coming four days.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/kohlis-ranji-return-delhi-gears-up-for-a-virat-show-8668335" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>
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Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Delhi gears up for a Virat show

Virat Kohli is all set to make his return to domestic cricket when he takes the field with Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30). This will be Kohli's first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a>&nbsp;match for Delhi since 2012 when he played against Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of the match, his teammates are joyed by India star's presence who has more than 80 tons to his name in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.
Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni, the 25-year-old uncapped batter, also revealed Kohli's batting position and the India batter's advice to the team.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-he-will-bat-at-4-delhi-skipper-ayush-badoni-reveals-virat-kohlis-batting-position-in-railways-match-8669081" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Read Here</a>

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live: Kohli to bat at THIS position

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match: Virat Kohli is set to make comeback to domestic cricket after 13 years since he last played against UP in 2012. Sports Cricket

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match: Virat Kohli made his return to domestic cricket when he took the field with Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30). This was Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match for Delhi since 2012 when he played against Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of the match, his teammates were joyed by India star's presence who has more than 80 tons to his name in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100. Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni, the 25-year-old uncapped batter, also revealed Kohli's batting position and the India batter's advice to the team. Also Read: India star Virat Kohli when denies help to carry kit "He will bat at No. 4. He encouraged us to stay positive and express ourselves confidently," Badoni said on the eve of match against Railways as reported by news agency PTI. "He will bat at No. 4. He encouraged us to stay positive and express ourselves confidently," Badoni said on the eve of match against Railways as reported by news agency PTI. He is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams. The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests. Follow Virat Kohli Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Updates

HIGHLIGHTS | Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy: Delhi 200 runs behind by end of day 1

The sun blazed down on Delhi, but nothing burned brighter than the passion of thousands of fans swarming the Arun Jaitley Stadium, their voices rising in unison&mdash; &ldquo;Kohli! Kohli!&rdquo; &nbsp;
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-live-cricket-match-score-card-today-jan-28-live-blog-8669798" aria-label="Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live Score and Updates: Railways near 200-run mark">Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates</a>
The air crackled with excitement as eager supporters, draped in blue jerseys and hoisting posters of their idol, jostled for a glimpse of the cricketing maestro. With the frenzy reaching fever pitch, security personnel moved swiftly to tighten measures, ensuring the stadium remained a fortress against the unstoppable tide of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> mania.&nbsp;
Seeing the overwhelming number of fans in attendance for the Delhi-Railways <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> game on Thursday (Jan 30) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) said that more gates are slated to be opened for letting in spectators keen to see Virat Kohli in action.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-mumbai-vs-meghalaya-watch-video-shardul-thakur-takes-hattrick-for-mumbai-8674030" aria-label="Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Meghalaya: WATCH | Shardul Thakur takes hattrick for Mumbai">Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Meghalaya: WATCH | Shardul Thakur takes hattrick for Mumbai</a>
The sources have also said that top DDCA officials are currently meeting to get food arrangements for fans up and running from day one. It is understood that the expectation for fan attendance by DDCA was at 10,000, with gates 16 and 17 being opened and entry to be done on the basis of the Aadhaar card.
But with fans upwards of 15,000 from all parts of Delhi, as well as Noida, Ghaziabad and rest of the NCR region thronging the stadium and standing in queues from as early as 3 am, DDCA calculations went awry, and they had to open gate number 18 also for spectator entry before action began at 9:30 am, as Delhi won the toss and elected to bowl first against Railways.&nbsp;
The fans wishing to see Kohli in action were chanting names of him and IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru outside the venue, as well as in the Gautam Gambhir and Bishen Singh Bedi stands. With the work on food arrangements going on, RO water counters are already present in the stadium and are in working condition.&nbsp;
Sources also said the DDCA is increasing the presence of police personnel, aside from the previously made private security arrangements, especially after an eager fan ran in from North Stand to touch Kohli&rsquo;s feet during the 12th over and was taken away, though the batting stalwart, stationed at second slip, asked for the intruder to be not hit harshly.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We generally have 25-30 people for security in a Ranji Trophy game in Delhi. But with Virat coming in, we got 50 and now 100 security personnel in the stadium. We will get police people once they are done with their work around VIP movement in Rajghat,&rdquo; added the sources.&nbsp;
Police personnel had been stationed near the boundary ropes of North and West stands to ensure no intruder invaded the field after the previous incident. The sources have also said that they have never seen these many spectators in attendance for a domestic red-ball game in New Delhi after a Duleep Trophy clash in the 80s, where Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar were in action for North and West Zones respectively, highlighting the pull Kohli has in Indian cricket.

Ranji Trophy 2025:  The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) said that more gates are slated to be opened for letting in spectators keen to see Virat Kohli play. Cricket Sports

The sun blazed down on Delhi, but nothing burned brighter than the passion of thousands of fans swarming the Arun Jaitley Stadium, their voices rising in unison— “Kohli! Kohli!” Also Read: Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates The air crackled with excitement as eager supporters, draped in blue jerseys and hoisting posters of their idol, jostled for a glimpse of the cricketing maestro. With the frenzy reaching fever pitch, security personnel moved swiftly to tighten measures, ensuring the stadium remained a fortress against the unstoppable tide of Virat Kohli mania. Seeing the overwhelming number of fans in attendance for the Delhi-Railways Ranji Trophy game on Thursday (Jan 30) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) said that more gates are slated to be opened for letting in spectators keen to see Virat Kohli in action. Also Read: Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Meghalaya: WATCH | Shardul Thakur takes hattrick for Mumbai The sources have also said that top DDCA officials are currently meeting to get food arrangements for fans up and running from day one. It is understood that the expectation for fan attendance by DDCA was at 10,000, with gates 16 and 17 being opened and entry to be done on the basis of the Aadhaar card. But with fans upwards of 15,000 from all parts of Delhi, as well as Noida, Ghaziabad and rest of the NCR region thronging the stadium and standing in queues from as early as 3 am, DDCA calculations went awry, and they had to open gate number 18 also for spectator entry before action began at 9:30 am, as Delhi won the toss and elected to bowl first against Railways. The fans wishing to see Kohli in action were chanting names of him and IPL team Royal Challengers Bengaluru outside the venue, as well as in the Gautam Gambhir and Bishen Singh Bedi stands. With the work on food arrangements going on, RO water counters are already present in the stadium and are in working condition. Sources also said the DDCA is increasing the presence of police personnel, aside from the previously made private security arrangements, especially after an eager fan ran in from North Stand to touch Kohli’s feet during the 12th over and was taken away, though the batting stalwart, stationed at second slip, asked for the intruder to be not hit harshly. “We generally have 25-30 people for security in a Ranji Trophy game in Delhi. But with Virat coming in, we got 50 and now 100 security personnel in the stadium. We will get police people once they are done with their work around VIP movement in Rajghat,” added the sources. Police personnel had been stationed near the boundary ropes of North and West stands to ensure no intruder invaded the field after the previous incident. The sources have also said that they have never seen these many spectators in attendance for a domestic red-ball game in New Delhi after a Duleep Trophy clash in the 80s, where Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar were in action for North and West Zones respectively, highlighting the pull Kohli has in Indian cricket.

Ranji Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli’s presence at stadium leads to heightened security as fans chant his name

Virat Kohli's involvement in Delhi <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> match against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30) pulled more than 10,000 fans to Arun Jaitley stadium - a sight rarely seen in domestic matches. The entry was free for fans and they were waiting outside stadium gates from as early as 5 AM to watch their favorite local boy play.
Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley also acknowledged the importance of fans coming to watch domestic cricket. Jaitely, while talking to WION's Jatin Verma at the stadium, called <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a>'s decision to play for Delhi a great moment.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-live-cricket-match-score-card-today-jan-28-live-blog-8669798" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates</a>
"It is great for domestic cricket (Kohli turning up)," Jaitely said as around nearly 15,000 fans packed the Arun Jaitely stadium. "I also got request for passes which shows how big this game is," Jaitley added.
<h2>Not witnessed such scenes</h2>
&ldquo;I have been involved in Delhi cricket for more than 30 years but I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy game. It just shows the Kohli&rsquo;s popularity is unmatched," DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told news agency PTI.
&ldquo;What made it more challenging was that fans entering the stadium coincided with the VIP movement of PM Modi on the outside roads and as part of his strict security protocol and to maintain order, we were instructed by the police to open another stand for the public," he revealed.
While the DDCA had made all the arrangements for the safety of players and everyone else, a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-video-virat-kohli-fan-breaches-security-and-runs-on-ground-to-meet-him-8673225">fan still breached security</a> and ran onto the pitch to meet Kohli.
The fan, who came from the Gautam Gambhir stand as reported by WION's Jatin Verma from the stadium, ran towards Virat Kohli who was fielding in the slips. He went ahead and touched Kohli's feet before security arrived and took him away.

Delhi vs Railways, Ranji Trophy: As Virat Kohli pulls huge crowd in comeback match, DDCA officials hailed the moment as great for domestic cricket. Sports

Virat Kohli's involvement in Delhi Ranji Trophy match against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30) pulled more than 10,000 fans to Arun Jaitley stadium - a sight rarely seen in domestic matches. The entry was free for fans and they were waiting outside stadium gates from as early as 5 AM to watch their favorite local boy play. Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) president Rohan Jaitley also acknowledged the importance of fans coming to watch domestic cricket. Jaitely, while talking to WION's Jatin Verma at the stadium, called Virat Kohli's decision to play for Delhi a great moment. Also Read: Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates "It is great for domestic cricket (Kohli turning up)," Jaitely said as around nearly 15,000 fans packed the Arun Jaitely stadium. "I also got request for passes which shows how big this game is," Jaitley added. Not witnessed such scenes “I have been involved in Delhi cricket for more than 30 years but I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy game. It just shows the Kohli’s popularity is unmatched," DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told news agency PTI. “What made it more challenging was that fans entering the stadium coincided with the VIP movement of PM Modi on the outside roads and as part of his strict security protocol and to maintain order, we were instructed by the police to open another stand for the public," he revealed. While the DDCA had made all the arrangements for the safety of players and everyone else, a fan still breached security and ran onto the pitch to meet Kohli. The fan, who came from the Gautam Gambhir stand as reported by WION's Jatin Verma from the stadium, ran towards Virat Kohli who was fielding in the slips. He went ahead and touched Kohli's feet before security arrived and took him away.

Delhi vs Railways, Ranji Trophy: 'Great for domestic cricket,' say DDCA officials as Virat Kohli pulls huge crowd in comeback match

Mumbai all-rounder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/shardul-thakur" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Shardul Thakur</a> rocked Meghalaya in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> match on Thursday (Jan 30) with a hattrick. Shardul removed Balchander Anirudh, Sumit Kumar, Jaskirat Singh Sachdevaon on last three balls of the third over in first innings to complete his hattrick.
Shardul first bowled Anirudh on the fourth ball of his over before sending back Sumit who was caught by Shams Mulani on the next ball. He then clean bowled Sachdeva to complete his hattrick. Have a look at the videos below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Balchander Anirudh ✅ Sumit Kumar ✅ Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva ✅ Shardul Thakur is on fire 🔥 He's picked up a 𝗵𝗮𝘁-𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 to help Mumbai bowl out Meghalaya for 86 👌👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanjiTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanjiTrophy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/imShard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imShard</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/MumbaiCricAssoc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MumbaiCricAssoc</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/9ApJe0CgxG">https://t.co/9ApJe0CgxG</a> <a href="https://t.co/B9azjgx1JB">pic.twitter.com/B9azjgx1JB</a>
&mdash; BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1884859096089886890?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Mumbai all over Meghalaya</h2>
Electing to field first after winning the toss, Mumbai were on top in the first over itself when Thakur sent back Nishanta Chakraborty for a duck. In the next over, Mohit Avasthi clean bowled Kishan Lyngdoh before Thakur took his hattrick.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-live-cricket-match-score-card-today-jan-28-live-blog-8669798" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates</a>
Avasthi then took one more wicket in the fourth over as Meghalaya were down on its knees with six wickets gone for just two runs on the board.
Meghalaya's lower order then tried to wrest the free fall. Pringsang Sangma scored 19 runs, skipper Akash Choudhary managed 16, Anish Charak hit 17 while Himan Phukan top scored with 28 off 24 balls. Meghalaya, however, were still bowled out for a paltry 86 runs.
For Mumbai, Thakur picked 4/43 in his 11 overs while Avasthi took 3/27 in seven overs. Apart from them, Sylvester D&rsquo;Souza returned the figures of 2/14 while Mulani picked 1/1 in the only over he bowled.
Thakur had also played an important role for Mumbai in the last match against Jammu and Kashmir with bat and ball. The match got attention for India skipper&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma">Rohit Sharma</a>'s participation but he couldn't perform according to his stature.
Thakur scored 51 in the first innings and 119 in the second to go with his two wickets in J&amp;K's first innings but Mumbai eventually went on to lose the match by five wickets.

Ranji Trophy: Mumbai's Shardul removed Balchander Anirudh, Sumit Kumar, Jaskirat Singh Sachdevaon on last three balls of the third over in first innings to complete his hattrick. Cricket Sports

Mumbai all-rounder Shardul Thakur rocked Meghalaya in Ranji Trophy match on Thursday (Jan 30) with a hattrick. Shardul removed Balchander Anirudh, Sumit Kumar, Jaskirat Singh Sachdevaon on last three balls of the third over in first innings to complete his hattrick. Shardul first bowled Anirudh on the fourth ball of his over before sending back Sumit who was caught by Shams Mulani on the next ball. He then clean bowled Sachdeva to complete his hattrick. Have a look at the videos below: Balchander Anirudh ✅ Sumit Kumar ✅ Jaskirat Singh Sachdeva ✅ Shardul Thakur is on fire 🔥 He's picked up a 𝗵𝗮𝘁-𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸 to help Mumbai bowl out Meghalaya for 86 👌👌#RanjiTrophy | @imShard | @MumbaiCricAssoc | @IDFCFIRSTBank Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/9ApJe0CgxG pic.twitter.com/B9azjgx1JB — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 30, 2025 Mumbai all over Meghalaya Electing to field first after winning the toss, Mumbai were on top in the first over itself when Thakur sent back Nishanta Chakraborty for a duck. In the next over, Mohit Avasthi clean bowled Kishan Lyngdoh before Thakur took his hattrick. Also Read: Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates Avasthi then took one more wicket in the fourth over as Meghalaya were down on its knees with six wickets gone for just two runs on the board. Meghalaya's lower order then tried to wrest the free fall. Pringsang Sangma scored 19 runs, skipper Akash Choudhary managed 16, Anish Charak hit 17 while Himan Phukan top scored with 28 off 24 balls. Meghalaya, however, were still bowled out for a paltry 86 runs. For Mumbai, Thakur picked 4/43 in his 11 overs while Avasthi took 3/27 in seven overs. Apart from them, Sylvester D’Souza returned the figures of 2/14 while Mulani picked 1/1 in the only over he bowled. Thakur had also played an important role for Mumbai in the last match against Jammu and Kashmir with bat and ball. The match got attention for India skipper Rohit Sharma's participation but he couldn't perform according to his stature. Thakur scored 51 in the first innings and 119 in the second to go with his two wickets in J&K's first innings but Mumbai eventually went on to lose the match by five wickets.

Ranji Trophy, Mumbai vs Meghalaya: WATCH | Shardul Thakur takes hattrick for Mumbai

Virat Kohli's comeback to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> for Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30) <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-in-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-watch-video-huge-crowd-outside-stadium-in-kohlis-comeback-match-8669859">attracted a huge crowd</a> at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. While the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had made all the arrangements for the safety of players and everyone else, a fan still breached security and ran onto the pitch to meet Kohli.
The fan, who came from the Gautam Gambhir stand as reported by WION's Jatin Verma from the stadium, ran towards&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> who was fielding in the slips. He went ahead and touched Kohli's feet before security arrived and took him away. Watch as it happened:
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Fan breaches security during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/delhivsrailways?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#delhivsrailways</a> to meet <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViratKohli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViratKohli</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanjiTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanjiTrophy</a> <a href="https://t.co/lggpWw3nBN">pic.twitter.com/lggpWw3nBN</a>
&mdash; Prashant (@journoinmaking) <a href="https://twitter.com/journoinmaking/status/1884838414023061942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>'Kohli, Kohli' in Delhi vs Railways</h2>
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also posted a video of a large crowd in the Gautam Gambhir stand. Kohli, during the match, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-chants-of-kohli-kohli-india-batter-greets-fans-in-comeback-match-8670047">waved to fans and greeted them</a> for the warm support.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-live-cricket-match-score-card-today-jan-28-live-blog-8669798" aria-label="Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Live Score and Updates: Railways try to build up after early jolts">Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates</a>
"The fans have come out in huge numbers for the Delhi vs Railways match. The Arun Jaitley Stadium is buzzing," wrote BCCI Domestic on its official X handle along with the video.
India star Virat Kohli made his return to domestic cricket after 13 years when he took the field against Railways for Delhi for the first time since 2012. Railways were asked to bat first after Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni won the toss. Kohli was stationed in slips during early overs - a position where he fields generally for India in Tests as well.
Kohli is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams.
The participation comes in the wake of the BCCI making it mandatory for the players to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests.

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy: The fan, who came from the Gautam Gambhir stand during the match, ran towards Virat Kohli who was fielding in the slips. Cricket Sports

Virat Kohli's comeback to Ranji Trophy for Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30) attracted a huge crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. While the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had made all the arrangements for the safety of players and everyone else, a fan still breached security and ran onto the pitch to meet Kohli. The fan, who came from the Gautam Gambhir stand as reported by WION's Jatin Verma from the stadium, ran towards Virat Kohli who was fielding in the slips. He went ahead and touched Kohli's feet before security arrived and took him away. Watch as it happened: Fan breaches security during #delhivsrailways to meet #ViratKohli in #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/lggpWw3nBN — Prashant (@journoinmaking) January 30, 2025 'Kohli, Kohli' in Delhi vs Railways The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also posted a video of a large crowd in the Gautam Gambhir stand. Kohli, during the match, waved to fans and greeted them for the warm support. Also Read: Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates "The fans have come out in huge numbers for the Delhi vs Railways match. The Arun Jaitley Stadium is buzzing," wrote BCCI Domestic on its official X handle along with the video. India star Virat Kohli made his return to domestic cricket after 13 years when he took the field against Railways for Delhi for the first time since 2012. Railways were asked to bat first after Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni won the toss. Kohli was stationed in slips during early overs - a position where he fields generally for India in Tests as well. Kohli is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams. The participation comes in the wake of the BCCI making it mandatory for the players to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests.

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy: WATCH | Fan breaches security and runs on ground to meet Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli's comeback in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> match for Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30) pulled huge crowd to the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The fans were <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-in-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-watch-video-huge-crowd-outside-stadium-in-kohlis-comeback-match-8669859" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">waiting in large number</a> since early morning for entry in the stadium which was declared free by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also posted a video of large crowd in Gautam Gambhir stand. Kohli, during the match, waved to fans and greeted them for the warm support received.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-live-cricket-match-score-card-today-jan-28-live-blog-8669798">Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates</a>
"The fans have come out in huge numbers for the Delhi vs Railways match. The Arun Jaitley Stadium is buzzing," wrote BCCI Domestic on official X handle along with sharing the below video:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The fans have come out in huge numbers for the Delhi vs Railways match 👌👌 The Arun Jaitley Stadium is buzzing 🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RanjiTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RanjiTrophy</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/IDFCFIRSTBank?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IDFCFIRSTBank</a> Scorecard ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/IhwXam3F5T">https://t.co/IhwXam3F5T</a> <a href="https://t.co/ATCyjCAX1Y">pic.twitter.com/ATCyjCAX1Y</a>
&mdash; BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIdomestic/status/1884825447256711428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Kohli-mania in Delhi vs Railways</h2>
India star <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> made his return to domestic cricket after 13 years when he took the field against Railways for Delhi, first time since 2012. Railways were asked to bat first after Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni won the toss. Kohli was stationed in slips during early overs - a position where he fields generally for India in Tests as well.
Kohli is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams.
The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests.
Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70.
Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests).

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy: BCCI posted a video of large crowd in stand. Kohli, during the match, waved to fans and greeted them for the warm support received. Cricket Sports

Virat Kohli's comeback in Ranji Trophy match for Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30) pulled huge crowd to the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The fans were waiting in large number since early morning for entry in the stadium which was declared free by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also posted a video of large crowd in Gautam Gambhir stand. Kohli, during the match, waved to fans and greeted them for the warm support received. Also Read: Virat Kohli in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates "The fans have come out in huge numbers for the Delhi vs Railways match. The Arun Jaitley Stadium is buzzing," wrote BCCI Domestic on official X handle along with sharing the below video: The fans have come out in huge numbers for the Delhi vs Railways match 👌👌 The Arun Jaitley Stadium is buzzing 🔥#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/IhwXam3F5T pic.twitter.com/ATCyjCAX1Y — BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 30, 2025 Kohli-mania in Delhi vs Railways India star Virat Kohli made his return to domestic cricket after 13 years when he took the field against Railways for Delhi, first time since 2012. Railways were asked to bat first after Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni won the toss. Kohli was stationed in slips during early overs - a position where he fields generally for India in Tests as well. Kohli is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams. The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests. Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70. Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests).

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy: WATCH | Amid chants of 'Kohli, Kohli' India batter greets fans in comeback match

Virat Kohli's stardom gripped the fans as they stood in long lines to get entry into Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch their favourite local boy play in Delhi vs Railways <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> match on Thursday (Jan 30).
The videos doing rounds on social media showed a long queue outside the entry gate of the stadium for fans which was declared free by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Watch one such video below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The 2KM long queue outside Arun Jaitley Stadium for Virat Kohli 👑 - Virat Kohli, The Biggest Crowd Puller 🐐 <a href="https://t.co/GJVKfsLK76">pic.twitter.com/GJVKfsLK76</a>
&mdash; Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trend_VKohli/status/1884801210794078336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 30, 2025</a></blockquote>

<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>All eyes on Kohli Delhi vs Railways</h2>
India star <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> made his return to domestic cricket after 13 years when he took the field against Railways for Delhi for the first time since 2012. Railways were asked to bat first after Delhi skipper Ayud Badoni won the toss. Kohli was stationed in slips during early overs - a position where he fields generally for India in Tests as well.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-delhi-vs-railways-ranji-trophy-live-cricket-match-score-card-today-jan-28-live-blog-8669798" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates</a>
Kohli is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams.
The participation comes in the wake of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/bcci" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Board of Control for Cricket in India</a>&nbsp;(BCCI) making it mandatory for players to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests.
Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70.
Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests).

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match: Huge crowds assembled outside Arun Jaitley stadium in Virat Kohli's comeback domestic cricket match for Delhi against Railways. Sports

Virat Kohli's stardom gripped the fans as they stood in long lines to get entry into Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch their favourite local boy play in Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy match on Thursday (Jan 30). The videos doing rounds on social media showed a long queue outside the entry gate of the stadium for fans which was declared free by the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Watch one such video below: The 2KM long queue outside Arun Jaitley Stadium for Virat Kohli 👑 - Virat Kohli, The Biggest Crowd Puller 🐐 pic.twitter.com/GJVKfsLK76 — Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) January 30, 2025 All eyes on Kohli Delhi vs Railways India star Virat Kohli made his return to domestic cricket after 13 years when he took the field against Railways for Delhi for the first time since 2012. Railways were asked to bat first after Delhi skipper Ayud Badoni won the toss. Kohli was stationed in slips during early overs - a position where he fields generally for India in Tests as well. Also Read: Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy Match Score and Updates Kohli is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams. The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for players to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests. Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70. Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests).

Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy: WATCH | Huge crowd outside stadium in Virat Kohli's comeback match

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Indian spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/kuldeep-yadav">Kuldeep Yadav</a> has been named in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) squad for their final <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> league match against Madhya Pradesh (MP) at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.&nbsp;
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The match, set to begin on Thursday (Jan 30), marks Kuldeep&rsquo;s return to domestic cricket after a lengthy injury layoff following hernia surgery.&nbsp;
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Kuldeep has been out of action since October 2024, with his last competitive appearance coming in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. His absence from the game has been a significant period of recovery and rehabilitation, with the left-arm wrist spinner working extensively with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) staff to regain match fitness.&nbsp;
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Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-ddca-announces-free-entry-for-fans-in-delhi-vs-railways-match-with-aadhar-card-8668906">Ranji Trophy: Want to watch Virat Kohli play? Keep your Aadhar card ready</a> 
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While both UP and MP are out of contention for the Ranji Trophy knockout stages, the fixture holds immense personal significance for Kuldeep.&nbsp;
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With the highly anticipated three-match ODI series against England starting on February 6, this match will provide him with much-needed game time to test his fitness and match rhythm.&nbsp;
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Kuldeep has already been named in India&rsquo;s squad for the England ODIs, as well as in the provisional 15-member squad for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a>, which follows soon after. His performance in the domestic match will be closely watched as selectors and team management assess his readiness for the upcoming international fixtures.&nbsp;
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Kuldeep is not the only India international returning to domestic cricket in the final round of the Ranji Trophy league phase. Several other notable names, including Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Riyan Parag, are also set to participate for their respective state teams. Their involvement highlights the importance of domestic cricket as a preparatory ground for international assignments.&nbsp;
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Having been a crucial component of India&rsquo;s spin attack in white-ball cricket, Kuldeep&rsquo;s return is a significant boost for the national team ahead of a busy international schedule.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW112384178 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="1491198070" paraeid="{0dabed57-6926-44d1-9c32-b71fb507e694}{199}">Uttar Pradesh squad:&nbsp;</h2>
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Aryan Juyal (captain, wicketkeeper), Karan Sharma, Abhishek Goswami, Madhav Kaushik, Priyam Garg, Rituraj Sharma, Aaditya Sharma (wicketkeeper), Shivam Mavi, Saurabh Kumar, Shivam Sharma, Kritagya Kumar Singh, Vijay Kumar, Atal Bihari Rai, Vaibhav Chaudhary, Zeeshan Ansari, Kartikeya Jaiswal, Kartik Tyagi, Kuldeep Yadav.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
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Cricket Sports: The match, set to begin on Thursday (Jan 30), marks Kuldeep’s return to competitive cricket after a lengthy injury layoff following hernia surgery

Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been named in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) squad for their final Ranji Trophy league match against Madhya Pradesh (MP) at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. The match, set to begin on Thursday (Jan 30), marks Kuldeep’s return to domestic cricket after a lengthy injury layoff following hernia surgery. Kuldeep has been out of action since October 2024, with his last competitive appearance coming in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. His absence from the game has been a significant period of recovery and rehabilitation, with the left-arm wrist spinner working extensively with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) staff to regain match fitness. Also Read: Ranji Trophy: Want to watch Virat Kohli play? Keep your Aadhar card ready While both UP and MP are out of contention for the Ranji Trophy knockout stages, the fixture holds immense personal significance for Kuldeep. With the highly anticipated three-match ODI series against England starting on February 6, this match will provide him with much-needed game time to test his fitness and match rhythm. Kuldeep has already been named in India’s squad for the England ODIs, as well as in the provisional 15-member squad for the Champions Trophy, which follows soon after. His performance in the domestic match will be closely watched as selectors and team management assess his readiness for the upcoming international fixtures. Kuldeep is not the only India international returning to domestic cricket in the final round of the Ranji Trophy league phase. Several other notable names, including Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Riyan Parag, are also set to participate for their respective state teams. Their involvement highlights the importance of domestic cricket as a preparatory ground for international assignments. Having been a crucial component of India’s spin attack in white-ball cricket, Kuldeep’s return is a significant boost for the national team ahead of a busy international schedule. Uttar Pradesh squad: Aryan Juyal (captain, wicketkeeper), Karan Sharma, Abhishek Goswami, Madhav Kaushik, Priyam Garg, Rituraj Sharma, Aaditya Sharma (wicketkeeper), Shivam Mavi, Saurabh Kumar, Shivam Sharma, Kritagya Kumar Singh, Vijay Kumar, Atal Bihari Rai, Vaibhav Chaudhary, Zeeshan Ansari, Kartikeya Jaiswal, Kartik Tyagi, Kuldeep Yadav. (With inputs from agencies)

Ranji Trophy 2025: Kuldeep Yadav makes comeback in UP squad vs Madhya Pradesh

Virat Kohli is all set to make his return to domestic cricket when he takes the field with Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30). This will be Kohli's first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> match for Delhi since 2012 when he played against Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of the match, his teammates are joyed by India star's presence who has more than 80 tons to his name in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.
Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni, the 25-year-old uncapped batter, also revealed Kohli's batting position and the India batter's advice to the team.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405" aria-label="HIGHLIGHTS | Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return: Delhi all set for Kohli in Railways match">HIGHLIGHTS | Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return</a>
"He will bat at No. 4. He encouraged us to stay positive and express ourselves confidently," Badoni said on the eve of match against Railways as reported by news agency PTI.
Badoni had also led Rishabh Pant in Delhi's last match against Saurashtra from January 23-25.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-ddca-announces-free-entry-for-fans-in-delhi-vs-railways-match-with-aadhar-card-8668906" aria-label="Ranji Trophy: Want to watch Virat Kohli play? Keep your Aadhar card ready">Ranji Trophy: Want to watch Virat Kohli play? Keep your Aadhar card ready</a>
"I have played against Virat bhaiyya in the IPL. It is an honour that in back to back matches I have now led Rishabh and Virat bhaiyya," acknowledged the young Delhi skipper.
<h2>DDCA set to Kohli's Ranji Trophy comeback</h2>
Meanwhile, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is expecting a crowd around 10,000 on day 1 of their match against Railways, which starts Thursday (Jan 30). With great build-up around <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a>'s first Ranji Trophy in nearly a decade, DDCA has announced free entry for the fans.
The DDCA is also planning to increase the security as well as ask Delhi Police for help to manage the crowd that may visit the Arun Jaitley stadium to watch Virat Kohli play.&nbsp;
Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. UP won the match by six wickets.

Ranji Trophy: Ahead of the match, Kohli's teammates are joyed by India star's presence who has more than 80 tons to his name in international cricket. Sports

Virat Kohli is all set to make his return to domestic cricket when he takes the field with Delhi against Railways on Thursday (Jan 30). This will be Kohli's first Ranji Trophy match for Delhi since 2012 when he played against Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of the match, his teammates are joyed by India star's presence who has more than 80 tons to his name in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100. Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni, the 25-year-old uncapped batter, also revealed Kohli's batting position and the India batter's advice to the team. Also Read: HIGHLIGHTS | Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return "He will bat at No. 4. He encouraged us to stay positive and express ourselves confidently," Badoni said on the eve of match against Railways as reported by news agency PTI. Badoni had also led Rishabh Pant in Delhi's last match against Saurashtra from January 23-25. Also Read: Ranji Trophy: Want to watch Virat Kohli play? Keep your Aadhar card ready "I have played against Virat bhaiyya in the IPL. It is an honour that in back to back matches I have now led Rishabh and Virat bhaiyya," acknowledged the young Delhi skipper. DDCA set to Kohli's Ranji Trophy comeback Meanwhile, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is expecting a crowd around 10,000 on day 1 of their match against Railways, which starts Thursday (Jan 30). With great build-up around Virat Kohli's first Ranji Trophy in nearly a decade, DDCA has announced free entry for the fans. The DDCA is also planning to increase the security as well as ask Delhi Police for help to manage the crowd that may visit the Arun Jaitley stadium to watch Virat Kohli play. Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. UP won the match by six wickets.

Ranji Trophy: 'He will bat at...,' Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni reveals Virat Kohli's batting position in Railways match

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Former India wicketkeeper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/parthiv-patel">Parthiv Patel</a> voiced concerns over <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/hardik-pandya">Hardik Pandya</a>&rsquo;s approach during India&rsquo;s 26-run loss to England in the third T20I on Tuesday. Patel believes Pandya&rsquo;s slow-paced innings played a key role in India failing to chase down a target of 172. India landed in early trouble at 48/3 in the Powerplay when Pandya took the crease.&nbsp;
However, instead of keeping the scoreboard moving, the Indian all-rounder struggled for fluency, consuming a&nbsp;significant number of dot balls. Though he attempted to accelerate in the final overs, hitting a couple of late sixes, his dismissal in the 19th over for 40 off 35 balls left India with too much to do in the final overs.&nbsp;
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Patel, Pandya&rsquo;s former Mumbai Indians teammate, was critical of the way the all-rounder constructed his innings, particularly pointing out the extended period he took to settle in.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-we-will-be-pcb-reiterates-as-uncertainty-looms-8668590">2025 Champions Trophy: 'We will be...': PCB reiterates as uncertainty looms</a> 
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Patel remarked, &ldquo;I thought when you are taking your time, you want to get used to the pace and bounce of the pitch. But you cannot take 20-25 balls to get settled. That put pressure on the other batters as well. If you&nbsp;don&rsquo;t want to play those big shots, that&rsquo;s okay, but you still have to keep on rotating the strike. You can&rsquo;t play three or four dot balls in a row.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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The pressure on the Indian batting unit was further compounded by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/washington-sundar">Washington Sundar</a>&rsquo;s sluggish innings of 6 off 15 balls. Patel pointed out that Pandya&rsquo;s inability to rotate the strike not only stalled India&rsquo;s momentum but also forced other batters to take undue risks."
&ldquo;You might just see Hardik Pandya scoring 40 off 35 balls, but there are&nbsp;a number of dots in his innings that put pressure on the other batters as well. That&rsquo;s something India can think about. You take your time, yes, but even with a low target, you need to keep the scoreboard moving,&rdquo; Patel added.&nbsp;
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(With inputs from agencies)
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Cricket Sports: Patel was critical of the way the all-rounder constructed his innings, particularly pointing out the extended period he took to settle in

Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel voiced concerns over Hardik Pandya’s approach during India’s 26-run loss to England in the third T20I on Tuesday. Patel believes Pandya’s slow-paced innings played a key role in India failing to chase down a target of 172. India landed in early trouble at 48/3 in the Powerplay when Pandya took the crease. However, instead of keeping the scoreboard moving, the Indian all-rounder struggled for fluency, consuming a significant number of dot balls. Though he attempted to accelerate in the final overs, hitting a couple of late sixes, his dismissal in the 19th over for 40 off 35 balls left India with too much to do in the final overs. Patel, Pandya’s former Mumbai Indians teammate, was critical of the way the all-rounder constructed his innings, particularly pointing out the extended period he took to settle in. Also Read: 2025 Champions Trophy: 'We will be...': PCB reiterates as uncertainty looms Patel remarked, “I thought when you are taking your time, you want to get used to the pace and bounce of the pitch. But you cannot take 20-25 balls to get settled. That put pressure on the other batters as well. If you don’t want to play those big shots, that’s okay, but you still have to keep on rotating the strike. You can’t play three or four dot balls in a row.” The pressure on the Indian batting unit was further compounded by Washington Sundar’s sluggish innings of 6 off 15 balls. Patel pointed out that Pandya’s inability to rotate the strike not only stalled India’s momentum but also forced other batters to take undue risks." “You might just see Hardik Pandya scoring 40 off 35 balls, but there are a number of dots in his innings that put pressure on the other batters as well. That’s something India can think about. You take your time, yes, but even with a low target, you need to keep the scoreboard moving,” Patel added. (With inputs from agencies)

IND vs ENG 3rd T20I: Former India keeper slams Hardik Pandya’s snooze button knock

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates: India star batter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a> joined Delhi's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a>&nbsp;squad on Tuesday (Jan 28) for their upcoming fixture against Railways from January 30 to February 2. Kohli will play the Ranji Trophy for the first time since 2012 when he had played against Uttar Pradesh.
Virat Kohli, during the practice, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-practice-video-with-delhi-team-ahead-of-railways-match-from-jan-30-8660376" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">did nearly 55-minute of batting</a> while facing a mix of bowlers including pacers and spinners.&nbsp;Kohli had earlier opted out of Delhi's last Ranji Trophy match from January 23 to 25 due to a neck injury.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-2025-final-tickets-sale-date-tickets-for-india-champions-trophy-match-india-schedule-in-champions-trophy-2025-india-vs-pakistan-feb-23-8659064" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy 2025: ICC says sale of tickets for final to be open only after first semi-final | Know Why</a>
Kohli had said that he is recovering from neck pain for which he took an injection on January 8 - three days after India's tour of Australia had ended while opting out of Delhi's last Ranji Trophy match.
Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. UP won the match by six wickets.
Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70.
<h2>Follow Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates below:</h2>

This is all for today, we'll be back tomorrow with the live coverage of Delhi vs Railways and the first Ranji Trophy match of Virat Kohli since 2012.
This live blog has ended.

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return

The anticipation around Virat Kohli playing his first&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a>&nbsp;match in nearly 13 years has reached its peak and the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is all set for it. The state cricket body is expecting a crowd around 10,000 on day 1 of their match against Railways which starts Thursday (Jan 30).
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-ddca-announces-free-entry-for-fans-in-delhi-vs-railways-match-with-aadhar-card-8668906" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Want to watch India batter play? Keep your Aadhar card ready

Kohli has been the same as he was when starting his career with Delhi and it was evident in the one of the incidents that took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday (Jan 28). Kohli was seen carrying his own kit and was offered help but the batter denied it with a laugh.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-what-are-you-saying-says-india-star-virat-kohli-when-offered-help-to-carry-kit-8668677" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: India star denied help with kit

Kohli, who batted for about 55 minutes on Tuesday, could be seen guiding the ball towards third-man area with an open face of the bat during the net session. Have a look at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-in-ranji-trophy-watch-india-batter-practices-backfoot-shots-in-net-practice-with-delhi-team-8666437" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">video</a>
Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs.

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Batter practices backfoot shots

During the practice session with Delhi team on January 28, Kohli met with old friends and one the kids of those friends asked the India batter: "what one needs to do to become an Indian cricketer?"
WATCH <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-delhi-team-chat-with-kid-video-gives-advice-to-work-hard-than-others-to-become-india-cricketer-8663989" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">WHAT KOHLI SAID</a>

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Kohli's advice to young kid to become India cricketer

India batter&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a>&nbsp;has declined to captain the Delhi Ranji Trophy team in their next match against Railways from January 30 to February 2. Kohli, who will return to domestic cricket for the first time in 12 years, will play under 25-year-old uncapped India batter Ayush Badoni.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Kohli declines to lead Delhi team

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Former India off-spinner and head coach of Delhi Ranji team,&nbsp;Sarandeep Singh,&nbsp;said that Kohli&nbsp;was the source of motivation for his young teammates during training session.&nbsp;
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The former India captain joined his Delhi teammates for football drills, shared laughs, and&nbsp;participated&nbsp;in 100-metre sprints before heading to the batting nets.&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-2025-young-players-felt-motivated-after-training-with-kohli-says-delhi-coach-8661983" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>
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Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Kohli inspires young players

Virat Kohli will be featuring in a domestic match for the first time since playing against UP in 2012. He'll be part of the Delhi's match against Railways which starts January 30. The&nbsp;Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Check <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-when-where-to-watch-delhi-vs-railways-match-live-8663407" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Live Streaming Details</a> Here

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Where to watch Delhi vs Railways live?

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Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70.
Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests).
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Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Kohli's Ranji Trophy stats

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Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs.
The batter, who had been practicing with former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Alibaugh, arrived at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday (Jan 28). Kohli took part in team huddle and net session as well on Jan 28.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-practice-video-with-delhi-team-ahead-of-railways-match-from-jan-30-8660376" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Watch Here</a>
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Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live: Watch Kohli in practice

Ranji Trophy: India batter Virat Kohli has linked up with the Delhi team on Jan 28 and practiced ahead of his return to domestic cricket for the first time since 2012. Sports

Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates: India star batter Virat Kohli joined Delhi's Ranji Trophy squad on Tuesday (Jan 28) for their upcoming fixture against Railways from January 30 to February 2. Kohli will play the Ranji Trophy for the first time since 2012 when he had played against Uttar Pradesh. Virat Kohli, during the practice, did nearly 55-minute of batting while facing a mix of bowlers including pacers and spinners. Kohli had earlier opted out of Delhi's last Ranji Trophy match from January 23 to 25 due to a neck injury. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: ICC says sale of tickets for final to be open only after first semi-final | Know Why Kohli had said that he is recovering from neck pain for which he took an injection on January 8 - three days after India's tour of Australia had ended while opting out of Delhi's last Ranji Trophy match. Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. UP won the match by six wickets. Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70. Follow Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates below:

HIGHLIGHTS | Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return: Delhi all set for Kohli in Railways match

The anticipation around Virat Kohli playing his first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> match in nearly 13 years has reached its peak and the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is all set for it. The state cricket body is expecting a crowd around 10,000 on day 1 of their match against Railways which starts Thursday (Jan 30).
<h2>DDCA offers free entry for fans</h2>
With great build-up around <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a>'s first Ranji Trophy in nearly a decade, DDCA has announced free entry for the fans.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates</a>
&ldquo;The Gautam Gambhir Stand will be open for the spectators. The fans can enter from Gate No 16 and 17. Gate No 6 will also be open for the DDCA members and guests. We are expecting a 10,000 crowd for the first day,&rdquo; DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told news outlet The Indian Express.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-what-are-you-saying-says-india-star-virat-kohli-when-offered-help-to-carry-kit-8668677" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">'What are you saying...,' says India star Virat Kohli when offered help to carry kit</a>
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a free entry. The fans just need to bring their original copy of their Aadhaar card and its photocopy as well. The arrangements for the fans have been made. It will be like any international or an IPL match,&rdquo; Sharma added.
The DDCA is planning to increase the security as well as ask Delhi Police for help to manage the crowd that may visit the Arun Jaitley stadium to watch Virat Kohli play.&nbsp;
"The Delhi Police will receive a letter from us. We have enhanced our private security, so we have initiated all these arrangements, and we will attempt to ensure there is no inconvenience for the fans when they come on January 30 to see the match," DDCA secretary Sharma had said, as reported by media outlet Times of India.
Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. UP won the match by six wickets.

Ranji Trophy: The DDCA is planning to increase the security as well as ask Delhi Police for help to manage the crowd during Delhi vs Railways match.  Cricket Sports

The anticipation around Virat Kohli playing his first Ranji Trophy match in nearly 13 years has reached its peak and the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is all set for it. The state cricket body is expecting a crowd around 10,000 on day 1 of their match against Railways which starts Thursday (Jan 30). DDCA offers free entry for fans With great build-up around Virat Kohli's first Ranji Trophy in nearly a decade, DDCA has announced free entry for the fans. Also Read: Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates “The Gautam Gambhir Stand will be open for the spectators. The fans can enter from Gate No 16 and 17. Gate No 6 will also be open for the DDCA members and guests. We are expecting a 10,000 crowd for the first day,” DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told news outlet The Indian Express. Also Read: 'What are you saying...,' says India star Virat Kohli when offered help to carry kit “It’s a free entry. The fans just need to bring their original copy of their Aadhaar card and its photocopy as well. The arrangements for the fans have been made. It will be like any international or an IPL match,” Sharma added. The DDCA is planning to increase the security as well as ask Delhi Police for help to manage the crowd that may visit the Arun Jaitley stadium to watch Virat Kohli play. "The Delhi Police will receive a letter from us. We have enhanced our private security, so we have initiated all these arrangements, and we will attempt to ensure there is no inconvenience for the fans when they come on January 30 to see the match," DDCA secretary Sharma had said, as reported by media outlet Times of India. Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. UP won the match by six wickets.

Ranji Trophy: Want to watch Virat Kohli play? Keep your Aadhar card ready

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/steve-smith">Steve Smith</a> stood unbeaten on 104 after crossing 10,000 Test runs and helped <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/australia-cricket">Australia</a> pummel Sri Lanka alongside fellow centurion Usman Khawaja on day one of the opening Test on Wednesday.
Australia reached 330-2 in 81.1 overs when rain stopped play for the day after the tourists elected to bat first in Galle at the start of the two-match series.
Left-handed opener Khawaja, on 147, and skipper Smith put on an unbeaten stand of 195 to thwart the opposition attack in two wicketless afternoon sessions.
Milestone man Smith got three runs off spinner Nishan Peiris to reach his third ton in four matches as he took off his baggy green and raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd's cheers.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/australias-steve-smith-joins-10000-test-runs-club-8664176">Australia&rsquo;s Steve Smith joins 10,000 Test runs club</a>
Smith took the crease in the first session with 9,999 runs and calmly nudged his very first delivery to mid-on for a single off Prabath Jayasuriya.
He became the 15th batsman to 10,000 Test runs and only the fourth Australian to achieve the feat after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ricky-ponting">Ricky Ponting</a>.
Smith got an early reprieve in his knock when Jayasuriya grassed a sharp return catch in the same over, a chance Sri Lanka would come to rue.
He made the hosts pay dearly, crafting a sublime 35th Test century to reaffirm his stature as one of Australia's rock in the middle order.
Khawaja reached his 16th Test hundred&mdash;his maiden ton on Sri Lankan soil&mdash;after a 17-match drought since his Ashes century in June 2023.
The ton came with a flick off fast bowler Asitha Fernando to the fine leg boundary, a stroke brimming with elegance and relief.
The 38-year-old had a few heart-in-mouth moments when a couple of edges fell just short of fielders and a reprieve on 74 when he nicked Jayasuriya to the keeper, but Sri Lanka chose not to review the on-field decision.
Another opportunity slipped through Sri Lanka's fingers with Smith on 90 as Kusal Mendis, slow to react behind the stumps, spilled a bat-pad chance.
Earlier, Travis Head smashed 57 off 40 balls, including 10 fours and one six, to put Sri Lanka on the back foot right away.
Head, who replaced 19-year-old Sam Konstas as an opener for the Test, put on 92 runs with fellow left-hander Khawaja.
The hosts finally found a breakthrough when Head misfired an ambitious charge against Jayasuriya only to find the long-on fielder.
Jeffrey Vandersay had Marnus Labuschagne caught at first slip for 20 with his left-arm spin.
With three specialist spinners in the Australian XI, the tourists hold all the aces, especially with the pitch expected to deteriorate as the game progresses.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Australia reached 330-2 in 81.1 overs when rain stopped play for the day after the tourists elected to bat first in Galle at the start of the two-match series. Sports Cricket

Steve Smith stood unbeaten on 104 after crossing 10,000 Test runs and helped Australia pummel Sri Lanka alongside fellow centurion Usman Khawaja on day one of the opening Test on Wednesday. Australia reached 330-2 in 81.1 overs when rain stopped play for the day after the tourists elected to bat first in Galle at the start of the two-match series. Left-handed opener Khawaja, on 147, and skipper Smith put on an unbeaten stand of 195 to thwart the opposition attack in two wicketless afternoon sessions. Milestone man Smith got three runs off spinner Nishan Peiris to reach his third ton in four matches as he took off his baggy green and raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd's cheers. Also Read: Australia’s Steve Smith joins 10,000 Test runs club Smith took the crease in the first session with 9,999 runs and calmly nudged his very first delivery to mid-on for a single off Prabath Jayasuriya. He became the 15th batsman to 10,000 Test runs and only the fourth Australian to achieve the feat after Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. Smith got an early reprieve in his knock when Jayasuriya grassed a sharp return catch in the same over, a chance Sri Lanka would come to rue. He made the hosts pay dearly, crafting a sublime 35th Test century to reaffirm his stature as one of Australia's rock in the middle order. Khawaja reached his 16th Test hundred—his maiden ton on Sri Lankan soil—after a 17-match drought since his Ashes century in June 2023. The ton came with a flick off fast bowler Asitha Fernando to the fine leg boundary, a stroke brimming with elegance and relief. The 38-year-old had a few heart-in-mouth moments when a couple of edges fell just short of fielders and a reprieve on 74 when he nicked Jayasuriya to the keeper, but Sri Lanka chose not to review the on-field decision. Another opportunity slipped through Sri Lanka's fingers with Smith on 90 as Kusal Mendis, slow to react behind the stumps, spilled a bat-pad chance. Earlier, Travis Head smashed 57 off 40 balls, including 10 fours and one six, to put Sri Lanka on the back foot right away. Head, who replaced 19-year-old Sam Konstas as an opener for the Test, put on 92 runs with fellow left-hander Khawaja. The hosts finally found a breakthrough when Head misfired an ambitious charge against Jayasuriya only to find the long-on fielder. Jeffrey Vandersay had Marnus Labuschagne caught at first slip for 20 with his left-arm spin. With three specialist spinners in the Australian XI, the tourists hold all the aces, especially with the pitch expected to deteriorate as the game progresses. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Khawaja, Smith tons power Australia to 330/2 in first Test

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli'</a>s practice with Delhi <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy</a> team and his presence around it have made their match against Railway from January 30 a big fest. With all the eyes set on Kohli, every movement is big captured to see how the India star is getting ready and treating his old friends being such a superstar.
Kohli, however, has been the same as he was when starting his career with Delhi, and it was evident in one of the incidents that took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday (Jan 28). Kohli was seen carrying his own kit and was offered help, but the batter denied it with a laugh.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates</a>
&ldquo;Virat, let them help you,&rdquo; said Delhi team manager Mahesh Bhati when he saw Kohli carrying his own kit, as reported by media outlet Time of India.
"What are you saying? This is my gear, I&rsquo;ll carry it myself,&rdquo; Kohli replied to the offer with a smile, showing he's still the same guy he was in 2012.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/kohlis-ranji-return-delhi-gears-up-for-a-virat-show-8668335">Kohli&rsquo;s Ranji return: Delhi gears up for a Virat show</a>
<h2>Kohli Back In Ranji Trophy</h2>
Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs.
He is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams.
The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests.
Kohli is considered one of the finest batters ever to play the games with 50 tons in ODI&mdash;a world record&mdash;and more than 80 tons in international cricket&mdash;second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.&nbsp;

Ranji Trophy: Virat Kohli's participation comes in the wake of BCCI making it mandatory for the player to play the domestic cricket. Cricket Sports

India batter Virat Kohli's practice with Delhi Ranji Trophy team and his presence around it have made their match against Railway from January 30 a big fest. With all the eyes set on Kohli, every movement is big captured to see how the India star is getting ready and treating his old friends being such a superstar. Kohli, however, has been the same as he was when starting his career with Delhi, and it was evident in one of the incidents that took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday (Jan 28). Kohli was seen carrying his own kit and was offered help, but the batter denied it with a laugh. Also Read: Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates “Virat, let them help you,” said Delhi team manager Mahesh Bhati when he saw Kohli carrying his own kit, as reported by media outlet Time of India. "What are you saying? This is my gear, I’ll carry it myself,” Kohli replied to the offer with a smile, showing he's still the same guy he was in 2012. Also Read: Kohli’s Ranji return: Delhi gears up for a Virat show Kohli Back In Ranji Trophy Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. He is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams. The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after the recent series losses against New Zealand and Australia in Tests. Kohli is considered one of the finest batters ever to play the games with 50 tons in ODI—a world record—and more than 80 tons in international cricket—second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.

Ranji Trophy: 'What are you saying...,' says India star Virat Kohli when offered help to carry kit

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The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/pakistan-cricket-board">Pakistan Cricket Board</a> (PCB) has reiterated that the National Stadium will be ready to host matches of the upcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> amid growing concerns around the venue's preparedness for the marquee event starting February 19.&nbsp;
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Pakistan's english daily 'Dawn' on Wednesday carried a story which stated that "it seems absolutely impossible to contemplate the renovation work being completed within the deadline, but the personnel handed the responsibility are beaming with confidence."&nbsp;
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"The board would either be hero or zero for taking up such a mammoth task," the newspaper commented.&nbsp;
Watch the video of the Gaddafi Stadium here:
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Although PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi inspected the Rawalpindi stadium on Tuesday and assured that the Champions Trophy would be held as planned, it seems unlikely that the Board would get control of the renovated venues in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi by the January 31 deadline.&nbsp;
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The other upcoming major international matches at these venues include the four-match tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa from February 8 to 14, with the first two games in Lahore and then two matches, including the final, in Karachi.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-news-ms-dhoni-gears-up-for-icc-tournament-with-special-drs-video-8663632">Champions Trophy 2025: WATCH | Dhoni dives into his own quirky 'DRS'</a> 
<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW252242537 BCX0" lang="EN-US">Why the delay?</h2>
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Bilal Chohan, the man responsible for the renovation work, is reportedly complaining about not getting required equipment and clearances on time to complete the work in Karachi.&nbsp;
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The panels to be installed on the new building were to be released from the Karachi Port only on Sunday night, with its installation scheduled for the next morning.&nbsp;
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"These are the kind of things we are dealing with, but sometimes it's sad to see people bashing us," Chohan complained.&nbsp;
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The PCB has spent around PKR 12 billion on renovation, construction, and installation of equipment at all three venues in Lahore and Karachi.&nbsp;
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On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/icc">ICC</a> CEO Geoff Allardice resigned with a board member of the world body, indicating that his failure to give a clear picture of Pakistan's preparedness was among the reasons for his departure.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
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Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi inspected the Rawalpindi stadium on Tuesday and assured that the Champions Trophy would be held as planned. Sports Cricket

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reiterated that the National Stadium will be ready to host matches of the upcoming Champions Trophy amid growing concerns around the venue's preparedness for the marquee event starting February 19. Pakistan's english daily 'Dawn' on Wednesday carried a story which stated that "it seems absolutely impossible to contemplate the renovation work being completed within the deadline, but the personnel handed the responsibility are beaming with confidence." "The board would either be hero or zero for taking up such a mammoth task," the newspaper commented. Watch the video of the Gaddafi Stadium here: Although PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi inspected the Rawalpindi stadium on Tuesday and assured that the Champions Trophy would be held as planned, it seems unlikely that the Board would get control of the renovated venues in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi by the January 31 deadline. The other upcoming major international matches at these venues include the four-match tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa from February 8 to 14, with the first two games in Lahore and then two matches, including the final, in Karachi. Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025: WATCH | Dhoni dives into his own quirky 'DRS' Why the delay? Bilal Chohan, the man responsible for the renovation work, is reportedly complaining about not getting required equipment and clearances on time to complete the work in Karachi. The panels to be installed on the new building were to be released from the Karachi Port only on Sunday night, with its installation scheduled for the next morning. "These are the kind of things we are dealing with, but sometimes it's sad to see people bashing us," Chohan complained. The PCB has spent around PKR 12 billion on renovation, construction, and installation of equipment at all three venues in Lahore and Karachi. On Tuesday, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice resigned with a board member of the world body, indicating that his failure to give a clear picture of Pakistan's preparedness was among the reasons for his departure. (With inputs from agencies)

2025 Champions Trophy: 'We will be...': PCB reiterates as uncertainty looms

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Come January 30, all roads in the national capital Delhi will lead to the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium.&nbsp;
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After 13 long years, the wait is finally over &ndash; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a> is set to make his much-anticipated return to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji </a>cricket, and there&rsquo;s no better place for it than the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
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As winter slowly gives way to the crisp Delhi weather, fans are already buzzing with excitement, eager to witness the cricketing maestro in action once again on home soil. The atmosphere will be electric as passionate supporters are set to throng the stadium, with the cool, clear skies adding to the thrill of the occasion. The attention of fans thronging the stadium will be fixed on the talismanic Virat Kohli&rsquo;s batting performance in the coming four days.&nbsp;
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Delhi, with a very slim mathematical chance to enter the Ranji Trophy knockouts, face Railways in their final Group D clash of the season starting on Thursday (Jan 29).
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Following the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/board-of-control-for-cricket-in-india">B</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/board-of-control-for-cricket-in-india">oard of Control for Cricket in India</a> (BCCI&rsquo;s) recommendation for Indian players to play domestic cricket, when possible, Kohli is set to play a Ranji Trophy game for the first time in 13 years. A neck spasm delayed his Ranji Trophy return in Rajkot, but Kohli is now almost certain for his Ranji Trophy homecoming at a place where he began his journey to become an integral part of the Indian team across all formats.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405">Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live Updates: Batter focuses on backfoot shots</a> 
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At the centre of every move Kohli makes in the match against Railways, his batting will come under supreme focus on a green pitch, as claimed by Delhi captain Ayush Badoni, to try and get an outright win.&nbsp;
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Dismissals outside off-stump largely defined Kohli&rsquo;s struggles in the 3-1 Test series defeat in Australia, his unbeaten Perth century being a notable exception. Now coming into the Delhi team after working on his game with former India and RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Alibaug, it will be intriguing to see how Kohli shapes with the bat in a game where he&rsquo;s the cynosure of all eyes and cameras.&nbsp;
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With Rishabh Pant not available and Pranav Rajvanshi likely to come in, Kohli joining the Delhi team is a huge help for their batting line-up, which was completely outplayed on a Rajkot pitch that turned from the start, resulting in a crushing ten-wicket defeat for them.&nbsp;
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The exciting possibility of bowling to Kohli in a Ranji Trophy match presents a chance for fast-bowlers Himanshu Sangwan (who previously played for Delhi), Kunal Yadav, Purnank Tyagi, and Rahul Sharma to rise to prominence by outsmarting the batting stalwart.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW133045538 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="2091505330" paraeid="{698dae58-fab8-4131-9886-6c92efeb2430}{255}">Squads:</h2>
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Delhi: Ayush Badoni (captain), Virat Kohli, Sanat Sangwan, Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, Jonty Sidhu, Himmat Singh, Navdeep Saini, Money Grewal, Harsh Tyagi, Siddhant Sharma, Shivam Sharma, Pranav Rajvanshi (wk), Vaibhav Kandpal, Mayank Gusain, Gagan Vats, Sumit Mathur, Rahul Gahlot, Jitesh Singh, Vansh Bedi.&nbsp;
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Railways: Pratham Singh (captain), Vivek Singh, S A Ahuja, Upendra Yadav (wk), Mohammad Saif, B H Merai, Anchit Yadav, Karn Sharma, Purnank Tyagi, Kunal Yadav, Himanshu Sangwan, K T Marathe, Ravi Singh, Ayan B Chaudhari, and Rahul Sharma.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
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Cricket Sports: After 13 long years, the wait is finally over – Virat Kohli is set to make his much-anticipated return to Ranji cricket. Delhi will lock horns against Railways

Come January 30, all roads in the national capital Delhi will lead to the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium. After 13 long years, the wait is finally over – Virat Kohli is set to make his much-anticipated return to Ranji cricket, and there’s no better place for it than the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. As winter slowly gives way to the crisp Delhi weather, fans are already buzzing with excitement, eager to witness the cricketing maestro in action once again on home soil. The atmosphere will be electric as passionate supporters are set to throng the stadium, with the cool, clear skies adding to the thrill of the occasion. The attention of fans thronging the stadium will be fixed on the talismanic Virat Kohli’s batting performance in the coming four days. Delhi, with a very slim mathematical chance to enter the Ranji Trophy knockouts, face Railways in their final Group D clash of the season starting on Thursday (Jan 29). Following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI’s) recommendation for Indian players to play domestic cricket, when possible, Kohli is set to play a Ranji Trophy game for the first time in 13 years. A neck spasm delayed his Ranji Trophy return in Rajkot, but Kohli is now almost certain for his Ranji Trophy homecoming at a place where he began his journey to become an integral part of the Indian team across all formats. Also Read: Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Live Updates: Batter focuses on backfoot shots At the centre of every move Kohli makes in the match against Railways, his batting will come under supreme focus on a green pitch, as claimed by Delhi captain Ayush Badoni, to try and get an outright win. Dismissals outside off-stump largely defined Kohli’s struggles in the 3-1 Test series defeat in Australia, his unbeaten Perth century being a notable exception. Now coming into the Delhi team after working on his game with former India and RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar in Alibaug, it will be intriguing to see how Kohli shapes with the bat in a game where he’s the cynosure of all eyes and cameras. With Rishabh Pant not available and Pranav Rajvanshi likely to come in, Kohli joining the Delhi team is a huge help for their batting line-up, which was completely outplayed on a Rajkot pitch that turned from the start, resulting in a crushing ten-wicket defeat for them. The exciting possibility of bowling to Kohli in a Ranji Trophy match presents a chance for fast-bowlers Himanshu Sangwan (who previously played for Delhi), Kunal Yadav, Purnank Tyagi, and Rahul Sharma to rise to prominence by outsmarting the batting stalwart. Squads: Delhi: Ayush Badoni (captain), Virat Kohli, Sanat Sangwan, Arpit Rana, Yash Dhull, Jonty Sidhu, Himmat Singh, Navdeep Saini, Money Grewal, Harsh Tyagi, Siddhant Sharma, Shivam Sharma, Pranav Rajvanshi (wk), Vaibhav Kandpal, Mayank Gusain, Gagan Vats, Sumit Mathur, Rahul Gahlot, Jitesh Singh, Vansh Bedi. Railways: Pratham Singh (captain), Vivek Singh, S A Ahuja, Upendra Yadav (wk), Mohammad Saif, B H Merai, Anchit Yadav, Karn Sharma, Purnank Tyagi, Kunal Yadav, Himanshu Sangwan, K T Marathe, Ravi Singh, Ayan B Chaudhari, and Rahul Sharma. (With inputs from agencies)

Kohli’s Ranji return: Delhi gears up for a Virat show

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli">Virat Kohli</a>'s presence in the Delhi <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> squad has created enough buzz among the team and fans as well. The India batter, who is struggling for from, will feature in Delhi's match against Railway from January 30, a first in since 2012. The star batter did some batting practice on Tuesday (Jan 28) and was seen working on his backfoot shot in the nets in a new video.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405">Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates</a>
Kohli, who batted for about 55 minutes on Tuesday, could be seen guiding the ball towards the third-man area with an open face of the bat during the net session. Have a look at the video below:
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Virat Kohli working on his back foot game! 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/5A7vjOsc59">pic.twitter.com/5A7vjOsc59</a>
&mdash; Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/Trend_VKohli/status/1884123400798626196?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>

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Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs.
Also Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ranji-trophy-virat-kohli-practice-video-with-delhi-team-ahead-of-railways-match-from-jan-30-8660376" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli starts practice with Delhi team ahead of Railways match</a>
He is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams.
The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after a recent series loss against New Zealand and Australia in Tests.
<h2>Virat Kohli's stats</h2>
Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches, scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70.
Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests).
Kohli is considered one of the finest batters ever to play the game with 50 tons in ODIs&mdash;a world record&mdash;and more than 80 tons in international cricket&mdash;second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.

Ranji Trophy: Kohli is one of high profile players including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja to feature in Ranji Trophy. Cricket Sports

India batter Virat Kohli's presence in the Delhi Ranji Trophy squad has created enough buzz among the team and fans as well. The India batter, who is struggling for from, will feature in Delhi's match against Railway from January 30, a first in since 2012. The star batter did some batting practice on Tuesday (Jan 28) and was seen working on his backfoot shot in the nets in a new video. Also Read: Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates Kohli, who batted for about 55 minutes on Tuesday, could be seen guiding the ball towards the third-man area with an open face of the bat during the net session. Have a look at the video below: Virat Kohli working on his back foot game! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5A7vjOsc59 — Virat Kohli Fan Club (@Trend_VKohli) January 28, 2025 Kohli played his last Ranji Trophy match against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. Batting at number 4, he scored 14 runs in the first innings as Delhi were bowled out for 235. In the second innings, Kohli scored 43 runs as Delhi scored 322 runs and set UP a target of 155 runs. Also Watch: Virat Kohli starts practice with Delhi team ahead of Railways match He is one of the high-profile players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, to feature in Ranji Trophy matches for their respective teams. The participation comes in the wake of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making it mandatory for the player to play domestic cricket after a recent series loss against New Zealand and Australia in Tests. Virat Kohli's stats Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches, scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70. Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests). Kohli is considered one of the finest batters ever to play the game with 50 tons in ODIs—a world record—and more than 80 tons in international cricket—second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.

Virat Kohli in Ranji Trophy: WATCH | India batter practices backfoot shots towards third-man ahead of Railways match

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England captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jos-buttler">Jos Buttler</a> on Tuesday (Jan 29) heaped praises on leg-spinner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/adil-rashid">Adil Rashid</a> and has described him as the team&rsquo;s most important player in the T20 setup.&nbsp;
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Rashid put up a masterclass of leg-spin to help England pull one back in the five-match series. He varied his pace beautifully and got the ball to turn a lot more than all other spinners.&nbsp;
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Rashid finished with figures of one for 15 in four overs. He applied the choke in the middle overs alongside Jamie Overton and got rid of in-form Tilak Varma with a peach of a delivery.&nbsp;
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Following the 26-run win, Buttler couldn't gush enough about the 36-year-old, who has been playing T20 Internationals since 2009.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;He's the most important player for us, and he always just seems to keep getting better. He's got so many different styles of bowling, he&rsquo;s got so much variety.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/australias-steve-smith-joins-10000-test-runs-club-8664176">Australia&rsquo;s Steve Smith joins 10,000 Test runs club</a> 
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"One of his great skills is that the first couple of balls he bowls, he seems to work out exactly how he needs to bowl on that wicket, and yeah, he's an absolute trump card to have as a captain, so yeah, he's been brilliant the last couple of games,&rdquo; said Buttler in his post-match press conference.&nbsp;
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/england-cricket">England</a> had the Indian batters under the pump even in the&nbsp;previous game, but Varma&rsquo;s individual brilliance got the home team over the line.&nbsp;
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The visitors were even sharper with the ball on Tuesday and were able to defend 171 comfortably. Besides Rashid, pacer Overton also kept the batters quiet with his variations.&nbsp;
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"Yeah, it's the beauty of being an all-rounder, isn't it? He (Overton) missed out tonight with the bat, but still impacts the game so much with the ball, so yeah, we know he'll come good, he's been playing great for a while now, and he's a really dangerous hitter with the ball.&nbsp;
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"...So the more he's out here as well, exposed to these conditions, he's just going to improve all the time, and as I say, guys who can affect the game in all three facets are gold dust," Buttler, who also praised another all-rounder Brydon Carse.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
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Cricket Sports: Buttler sees leg-spinner Adil Rashid as the team's most important player in T20 setup after his special skills were on display in third match against India

England captain Jos Buttler on Tuesday (Jan 29) heaped praises on leg-spinner Adil Rashid and has described him as the team’s most important player in the T20 setup. Rashid put up a masterclass of leg-spin to help England pull one back in the five-match series. He varied his pace beautifully and got the ball to turn a lot more than all other spinners. Rashid finished with figures of one for 15 in four overs. He applied the choke in the middle overs alongside Jamie Overton and got rid of in-form Tilak Varma with a peach of a delivery. Following the 26-run win, Buttler couldn't gush enough about the 36-year-old, who has been playing T20 Internationals since 2009. “He's the most important player for us, and he always just seems to keep getting better. He's got so many different styles of bowling, he’s got so much variety. Also Read: Australia’s Steve Smith joins 10,000 Test runs club "One of his great skills is that the first couple of balls he bowls, he seems to work out exactly how he needs to bowl on that wicket, and yeah, he's an absolute trump card to have as a captain, so yeah, he's been brilliant the last couple of games,” said Buttler in his post-match press conference. England had the Indian batters under the pump even in the previous game, but Varma’s individual brilliance got the home team over the line. The visitors were even sharper with the ball on Tuesday and were able to defend 171 comfortably. Besides Rashid, pacer Overton also kept the batters quiet with his variations. "Yeah, it's the beauty of being an all-rounder, isn't it? He (Overton) missed out tonight with the bat, but still impacts the game so much with the ball, so yeah, we know he'll come good, he's been playing great for a while now, and he's a really dangerous hitter with the ball. "...So the more he's out here as well, exposed to these conditions, he's just going to improve all the time, and as I say, guys who can affect the game in all three facets are gold dust," Buttler, who also praised another all-rounder Brydon Carse. (With inputs from agencies)

'We are fortunate to have him', Jos Buttler reveals most important player in England team

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Australian batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/steve-smith">Steve Smith</a> on Wednesday (Jan 29) joined the elite 10,000-run club in Test cricket during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Smith became the fourth Australian and 15th player overall to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. Smith was dismissed at 9,999 runs in the SCG Test against India.&nbsp;
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Steve Smith is the third fastest to reach the landmark in terms of innings played. The record is held by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/brian-lara">Brian Lara</a>, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sachin-tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, and Kumar Sangakkara, who reached the landmark in 195 innings. Former Australia captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ricky-ponting">Ricky Ponting</a> scored 10,000 runs in 196 innings, while Smith accomplished the feat in his 205 innings.
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Smith is only the sixth player to reach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket while leading a team. Notably, Smith was named Australia captain for the Sri Lanka tour after Pat Cummins pulled out of the series. The other players who reached the landmark as captains of the team are Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, and Alastair Cook.&nbsp;
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Meanwhile, Australia find themselves on top in the first Test at Galle. Electing to bat, Australia came out all guns blazing and left Sri Lanka reeling. The move to promote Travis Head at the top worked wonders as the destructive southpaw slammed a fiery fifty. He was dismissed for 57 in 40 balls. Marnus Labuschagne did not get going and was dismissed for 20, however, Usman Khawaja held one end to take Australia to 145-2 at Llunchon Day 1. Australia have not won a series in Sri Lanka in 14 years.&nbsp;
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<h2 class="Paragraph SCXW151166777 BCX0" lang="EN-US" paraid="464998651" paraeid="{032b6d9b-798d-4c25-8bf5-39cdca9991d3}{97}">&lsquo;Nice to tick that off': Smith after 10,000 Test runs milestone&nbsp;</h2>
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After becoming only the fourth Australian to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket on day one of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka, Steve Smith felt &ldquo;nice to tick that off&rdquo; with a flick wide of mid-on off Prabath Jayasuriya.&nbsp;
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&ldquo;Nice to tick that off,&rdquo; Smith told official broadcaster Channel Seven at the stroke of lunch.&nbsp;
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Allan Border, one of the players Smith now shares this milestone with, praised his determination and unique style. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s not the bloke where you say to your son &lsquo;here&rsquo;s a technique you&rsquo;ve got to follow,&rsquo; but it&rsquo;s worked for him, and that&rsquo;s a good sign that you know your game. He&rsquo;s done it so well. There&rsquo;s prettier players, but not many who&rsquo;ve got that record,&rdquo; Border was quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald. 
Border went on to compare Smith to the greats of the game, saying, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m a huge fan of (Sachin) Tendulkar and (Brian) Lara &ndash; they were phenomenally good cricketers, but Steve is definitely up with that lot, for sure.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Smith has compiled his runs at an average of over 55, with Kumar Sangakkara the only batter beyond the 10,000 figure with a better return (57.40). Among active players, only Joe Root's tally of 12,972 Test runs is higher than Smith's.&nbsp;
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The right-hander came to bat at 137/2 in the opening session and hit a single to mid-on off Prabath Jayasuriya, earning applause from the crowd, before sharing a hug with his batting partner, Usman Khawaja.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)
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Cricket Sports: Smith became the fourth Australian and 15th player overall to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. He is the third fastest to reach the landmark in terms of innings played

Australian batter Steve Smith on Wednesday (Jan 29) joined the elite 10,000-run club in Test cricket during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. Smith became the fourth Australian and 15th player overall to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. Smith was dismissed at 9,999 runs in the SCG Test against India. Steve Smith is the third fastest to reach the landmark in terms of innings played. The record is held by Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, and Kumar Sangakkara, who reached the landmark in 195 innings. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting scored 10,000 runs in 196 innings, while Smith accomplished the feat in his 205 innings. Smith is only the sixth player to reach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket while leading a team. Notably, Smith was named Australia captain for the Sri Lanka tour after Pat Cummins pulled out of the series. The other players who reached the landmark as captains of the team are Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, and Alastair Cook. Meanwhile, Australia find themselves on top in the first Test at Galle. Electing to bat, Australia came out all guns blazing and left Sri Lanka reeling. The move to promote Travis Head at the top worked wonders as the destructive southpaw slammed a fiery fifty. He was dismissed for 57 in 40 balls. Marnus Labuschagne did not get going and was dismissed for 20, however, Usman Khawaja held one end to take Australia to 145-2 at Llunchon Day 1. Australia have not won a series in Sri Lanka in 14 years. ‘Nice to tick that off': Smith after 10,000 Test runs milestone After becoming only the fourth Australian to cross the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket on day one of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka, Steve Smith felt “nice to tick that off” with a flick wide of mid-on off Prabath Jayasuriya. “Nice to tick that off,” Smith told official broadcaster Channel Seven at the stroke of lunch. Allan Border, one of the players Smith now shares this milestone with, praised his determination and unique style. “He’s not the bloke where you say to your son ‘here’s a technique you’ve got to follow,’ but it’s worked for him, and that’s a good sign that you know your game. He’s done it so well. There’s prettier players, but not many who’ve got that record,” Border was quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald. Border went on to compare Smith to the greats of the game, saying, “I’m a huge fan of (Sachin) Tendulkar and (Brian) Lara – they were phenomenally good cricketers, but Steve is definitely up with that lot, for sure.” Smith has compiled his runs at an average of over 55, with Kumar Sangakkara the only batter beyond the 10,000 figure with a better return (57.40). Among active players, only Joe Root's tally of 12,972 Test runs is higher than Smith's. The right-hander came to bat at 137/2 in the opening session and hit a single to mid-on off Prabath Jayasuriya, earning applause from the crowd, before sharing a hug with his batting partner, Usman Khawaja. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia’s Steve Smith joins 10,000 Test runs club

India batter <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli</a>'s presence around the Delhi <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ranji-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Ranji Trophy </a>team has created a lot of buzz. Kohli will return to domestic cricket when he takes on the field for Delhi against Railways on January 30. It will be the first time in nearly 13 years that Kohli will play in a domestic match.
<h2>Kohli presence around Delhi team creates buzz&nbsp;</h2>
During the practice session with Delhi team on January 28, Kohli met with old friends and one of the kids of those friends asked the India batter: "what one needs to do to become an Indian cricketer?"
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates</a>
Kohli's reply to the young kid was something the India batter has done himself over the years.&nbsp;
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such a heartwarming and inspiring little conversation 🫶🥹 <a href="https://t.co/YZQD2JuU1h">pic.twitter.com/YZQD2JuU1h</a>
&mdash; 𝒑. 💌 (@ssnoozefest) <a href="https://twitter.com/ssnoozefest/status/1884296205850866056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>

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"We need to do a lot of hard work, and your dad shouldn't be asking you to go for practice and training. You yourself should wake up early and say 'I have to go for practice'. And if someone practices for one hour, you practice for two hours. That's the only way, right? If someone makes a fifty, you score a hundred. If someone makes a hundred, you score two hundred -- double of the benchmark. Then you will go a level up. If you need to be told to practice, then that's not right," advised the India batter.
<h2>Virat Kohli's stats</h2>
Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-when-where-to-watch-delhi-vs-railways-match-live-8663407" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">When &amp; where to watch Delhi vs Railways match live?</a>
Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests).
Kohli is considered one of the finest batters ever to play the game with 50 tons in ODI - a world record and more then 80 tons in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.

Ranji Trophy: Kohli is considered one of the finest batters with 50 tons in ODI - a world record and more then 80 tons in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100. Cricket Sports

India batter Virat Kohli's presence around the Delhi Ranji Trophy team has created a lot of buzz. Kohli will return to domestic cricket when he takes on the field for Delhi against Railways on January 30. It will be the first time in nearly 13 years that Kohli will play in a domestic match. Kohli presence around Delhi team creates buzz During the practice session with Delhi team on January 28, Kohli met with old friends and one of the kids of those friends asked the India batter: "what one needs to do to become an Indian cricketer?" Also Read: Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates Kohli's reply to the young kid was something the India batter has done himself over the years. such a heartwarming and inspiring little conversation 🫶🥹 pic.twitter.com/YZQD2JuU1h — 𝒑. 💌 (@ssnoozefest) January 28, 2025 "We need to do a lot of hard work, and your dad shouldn't be asking you to go for practice and training. You yourself should wake up early and say 'I have to go for practice'. And if someone practices for one hour, you practice for two hours. That's the only way, right? If someone makes a fifty, you score a hundred. If someone makes a hundred, you score two hundred -- double of the benchmark. Then you will go a level up. If you need to be told to practice, then that's not right," advised the India batter. Virat Kohli's stats Kohli made his debut for Delhi in 2006 against Tamil Nadu before playing his last match in 2012. In six years, the former Indian skipper went on to play 23 matches - scoring 1,574 runs at an average of 50.70. Also Read: When & where to watch Delhi vs Railways match live? Overall, Kohli has played 155 first-class matches (including his 123 Tests) and has scored 11,479 runs (including 9,230 Test runs) at an average of 55.96 with 37 hundreds (30 in Tests) and 39 fifties (31 in Tests). Kohli is considered one of the finest batters ever to play the game with 50 tons in ODI - a world record and more then 80 tons in international cricket - second only to Sachin Tendulkar's 100.

Ranji Trophy: 'Double of the benchmark,' Virat Kohli's advice to young kid to become India cricketer | WATCH

The Champions Trophy is less than a month away and former India skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ms-dhoni" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">MS Dhoni</a>, winner of Champions Trophy 2013, can't wait for it. Dhoni, who is the only captain to win all three ICC limited-over tournaments (ODI WC 2011, Champions Trophy 2012 and T20 WC 2007), is promoting the tournament in a promo for official broadcasters Star Sports.
<h2>Dhoni dunks into his own quirky 'DRS' for Champions Trophy</h2>
Dhoni, who was fondly called Captain Cool during his playing days, can be seen sitting in a bathtub full of snow, suggesting the tense atmosphere of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Champions Trophy</a>. The promo has also taken the term Decision Review System (DRS) and given it a unique twist, calling it the Dhoni Refrigeration System to go with the Captain Cool image of Dhoni. Have a look at the video below:
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Captain Cool on the field 😌 Captain Cool as a fan 🥵 With every match do-or-die in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampionsTrophy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChampionsTrophy</a>, even <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> needs a DRS (Dhoni Refrigeration System) to beat the heat! 👊 📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampionsTrophyOnJioStar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChampionsTrophyOnJioStar</a> STARTS WED, 19 FEB 2025! | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CaptainNotSoCool?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CaptainNotSoCool</a> <a href="https://t.co/nv1XXZoHht">pic.twitter.com/nv1XXZoHht</a>
&mdash; Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/StarSportsIndia/status/1884428755009167507?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>

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During Dhoni's tenure as the captain, the Indian team was at its peak, at least in white-ball cricket as they won all the ICC titles. Since the 2012 Champions Trophy title, India has only managed to win one ICC trophy - the 2024 T20 World Cup under <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/rohit-sharma" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Rohit Sharma</a>.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/virat-kohli-ranji-trophy-return-live-practice-video-delhi-ranji-team-8663405" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates</a>
Champions Trophy 2025 begins Feb 19 in Pakistan with India playing all its matches in Dubai under the agreed-upon hybrid model with the BCCI and the ICC.
<h2>ICC CEO Geoff Allardice steps down</h2>
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice has meanwhile stepped down from his position ahead of the eight-team tournament. While there is no official reason yet, it is believed that the ICC CEO has left the job over the lack of preparedness of stadiums in Pakistan - the host of Champions Trophy 2025.
"It has been a privilege to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council and I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the commercial foundation put in place for ICC Members," Allardice said in a statement.
"I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges," he added.

Champions Trophy 2025: Dhoni, who was fondly called Captain Cool, can be seen sitting in a bathtub full of snow, suggesting the tense atmosphere of the tournament.  Cricket Sports

The Champions Trophy is less than a month away and former India skipper MS Dhoni, winner of Champions Trophy 2013, can't wait for it. Dhoni, who is the only captain to win all three ICC limited-over tournaments (ODI WC 2011, Champions Trophy 2012 and T20 WC 2007), is promoting the tournament in a promo for official broadcasters Star Sports. Dhoni dunks into his own quirky 'DRS' for Champions Trophy Dhoni, who was fondly called Captain Cool during his playing days, can be seen sitting in a bathtub full of snow, suggesting the tense atmosphere of the Champions Trophy. The promo has also taken the term Decision Review System (DRS) and given it a unique twist, calling it the Dhoni Refrigeration System to go with the Captain Cool image of Dhoni. Have a look at the video below: Captain Cool on the field 😌 Captain Cool as a fan 🥵 With every match do-or-die in the #ChampionsTrophy, even @msdhoni needs a DRS (Dhoni Refrigeration System) to beat the heat! 👊 📺 #ChampionsTrophyOnJioStar STARTS WED, 19 FEB 2025! | #CaptainNotSoCool pic.twitter.com/nv1XXZoHht — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 29, 2025 During Dhoni's tenure as the captain, the Indian team was at its peak, at least in white-ball cricket as they won all the ICC titles. Since the 2012 Champions Trophy title, India has only managed to win one ICC trophy - the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma. Also Read: Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates Champions Trophy 2025 begins Feb 19 in Pakistan with India playing all its matches in Dubai under the agreed-upon hybrid model with the BCCI and the ICC. ICC CEO Geoff Allardice steps down ICC CEO Geoff Allardice has meanwhile stepped down from his position ahead of the eight-team tournament. While there is no official reason yet, it is believed that the ICC CEO has left the job over the lack of preparedness of stadiums in Pakistan - the host of Champions Trophy 2025. "It has been a privilege to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council and I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the commercial foundation put in place for ICC Members," Allardice said in a statement. "I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges," he added.

Champions Trophy 2025: WATCH | Dhoni dives into his own quirky 'DRS'

Ahead of the upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy">Champions Trophy</a> 2025,&nbsp;the International Cricket Council (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/icc">ICC</a>) on Tuesday (Jan 28) has announced that Geoff Allardice will step down from his role as Chief Executive.
Allardice, who first joined the ICC in 2012 as General Manager of Cricket after serving as Cricket Operations Manager at Cricket Australia, was appointed ICC CEO in November 2021 following an eight-month tenure as acting CEO. The ICC Board has stated that the process to identify Allardice&rsquo;s successor will begin shortly.
ICC Chair <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jay-shah">Jay Shah</a> expressed gratitude for Allardice&rsquo;s contributions, noting that his leadership had been instrumental in advancing cricket on a global scale. Shah acknowledged Allardice&rsquo;s dedication and wished him success in his future pursuits.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/jasrit-bumrah-becomes-first-indian-pacer-to-win-this-prestigious-icc-award-8661762">Jasprit Bumrah becomes first Indian pacer to win this prestigious ICC award...</a>
Reflecting on his time at the ICC, Allardice said it had been an honour to serve as Chief Executive. He highlighted the achievements made during his tenure, including expanding cricket&rsquo;s global reach and strengthening the commercial foundation for ICC members.
He thanked the ICC Chair, board of directors, and cricket community for their support over the past 13 years, adding that he believed this was the right moment to step down and embrace new opportunities. Allardice expressed confidence in the future of cricket and extended his best wishes to the ICC and the global cricketing fraternity.
(With inputs from agencies)

Cricket Sports: Allardice, who first joined the ICC in 2012 as General Manager of Cricket after serving as Cricket Operations Manager at Cricket Australia, was appointed ICC CEO in November 2021

Ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday (Jan 28) has announced that Geoff Allardice will step down from his role as Chief Executive. Allardice, who first joined the ICC in 2012 as General Manager of Cricket after serving as Cricket Operations Manager at Cricket Australia, was appointed ICC CEO in November 2021 following an eight-month tenure as acting CEO. The ICC Board has stated that the process to identify Allardice’s successor will begin shortly. ICC Chair Jay Shah expressed gratitude for Allardice’s contributions, noting that his leadership had been instrumental in advancing cricket on a global scale. Shah acknowledged Allardice’s dedication and wished him success in his future pursuits. Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah becomes first Indian pacer to win this prestigious ICC award... Reflecting on his time at the ICC, Allardice said it had been an honour to serve as Chief Executive. He highlighted the achievements made during his tenure, including expanding cricket’s global reach and strengthening the commercial foundation for ICC members. He thanked the ICC Chair, board of directors, and cricket community for their support over the past 13 years, adding that he believed this was the right moment to step down and embrace new opportunities. Allardice expressed confidence in the future of cricket and extended his best wishes to the ICC and the global cricketing fraternity. (With inputs from agencies)

Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice steps down

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