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

Virat Kohli craze hit Delhi as the former India captain made his return to Ranji Trophy after more than 12 years against Railways.

With Virat Kohli playing a Ranji Trophy game after 12 years and crowds turning out in massive numbers, the authorities decided to deploy paramilitary forces to ensure the proceedings on day 1 in Delhi against the Railways go smoothly.

Thousands of fans have filled a stadium in the Indian capital, Delhi, as Virat Kohli makes his much-anticipated return to domestic cricket after more than 12 years. The 36-year-old star batter has turned out for Delhi on Thursday in the Ranji Trophy match against the Railways team at the well-attended Arun Jaitley stadium.

A stampede occurred outside the Gate 16 of the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Some of the fans even got injured because of it.

There was a brief rush and jostling outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday (January 30, 2025) morning as fans, who had gathered to see Indian superstar Virat Kohli play his first Ranji Trophy game since 2012, tried to make their way inside. No one was injured in the incident, police said.

At first, the DDCA opened the roughly 6,000-capacity 'Gautam Gambhir Stand' for spectators but sensing the crowd situation could go out of hand, the officials were forced to open the 'Bishan Bedi Stand' which can accommodate around 14,

A huge crowd turned up at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday as Virat Kohli made his much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy after 13 years. Fans gathered from the early hours of the morning, eager to witness the cricketing icon in action as Delhi faced Railways in the domestic tournament.

While Virat Kohli 's Ranji Trophy return after more than a decade thrilled fans, chaos outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium dampened the occasion. The former Indian skipper is playing a match against Suraj Ahuja's Railways team on Thursday, January 30.

Arun Jaitley Stadium and the areas nearby experienced a heavy rush on Thursday, January 30 as Virat Kohli-mania gripped the city with the former India captain returning to Ranji Trophy fold after more than 12 years.

Virat Kohli returned to the Ranji Trophy after a gap of more than 12 years. Kohli is playing for Delhi in their final Ranji Trophy 2024-25 game against Railways.