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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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

Virat Kohli is featuring in Ranji Trophy for the first time since November 2012 and the fans are excited to watch him. DDCA announced that entry was free for 10000 fans and they thronged the stadium early in the morning forcing them to open more gates.

Virat Kohli’s long-awaited return to the Ranji Trophy was met with an electrifying reception as thousands of fans gathered at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The star batter made his first appearance in the first-class tournament after 12 years, representing Delhi against Railways.

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

Initially, only one gate was open for entry and people started pushing each other to get inside the stadium, a Delhi police statement said