Watch: Delhi crowd chants 'RCB RCB' outside Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch Virat Kohli play in Ranji Trophy

A massive crowd turned up at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi to witness star Indian batter Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji Trophy after more than 12 years. Interest in Kohli’s return is so high that fans started queuing up outside the stadium as early as 5 AM.

The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) had announced free entry for spectators, requiring only an Aadhaar card and a photocopy for verification. Some of the fans were heard chanting ‘RCB, RCB’ as they looked excited about watching Kohli take the field. 

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Virat Kohli last played in the Ranji Trophy back in 2012

Kohli, who will play under the captaincy of Ayush Badoni, took part in two-day training sessions before the match. With head coach Sarandeep Singh overseeing the preparations, he worked on refining his footwork, addressing issues outside the off-stump, and improving his backfoot play. During the practice session, a video went viral about the veteran batter advising a young boy about what one needs to do to become an international cricketer.

"It requires a lot of hard work from one's side, and dad shouldn't need to tell you to go for practice," Kohli was heard saying.

The right-hand batter last played in the Ranji Trophy back in 2012 when Delhi faced Uttar Pradesh. However, his recent struggles in Test cricket have prompted him to return to domestic cricket, using the Ranji Trophy as preparation for the upcoming Champions Trophy. 

Meanwhile, in the game, the Delhi team won the toss and elected to field first. The 36-year-old who was positioned at slips was seen thanking the crowd for turning out in massive numbers.