New Delhi: All roads lead to Arun Jaitley Stadium (formerly Feroz Shah Kotla) on Thursday (January 30) as Virat Kohli makes a comeback to the Ranji Trophy after 13 years. The Indian batting superstar will play his first Ranji match since 2012 when he takes the field in Delhi’s last-round match against Railways.
Kohli is among the host of India’s Test regulars to return to India’s red-ball premier domestic competition after BCCI cracked a whip to encourage the star players to play in domestic cricket. While Kohli missed the previous round due to neck stiffness, the likes of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill all featured for their respective state sides.
But hopes of the fans wanting to watch Kohli return to where it all started were raised when he was named in the Delhi squad last week. Reports and pictures of Kohli practising with his trusted mentor and former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar all but confirmed his comeback.
Kohli’s arrival in Delhi and participation in the training sessions rubber-stamped his return to domestic cricket. With huge anticipation surrounding his return on Thursday, there was suspense on his batting position.
Where will Virat Kohli bat on his Ranji Trophy return
However, Delhi captain Ayush Badoni has ended the speculations by revealing that Virat Kohli will bat at No.4 on his Ranji Trophy return against Railways on Thursday, January 30.
“He will bat at No. 4. He has told us to be positive and express ourselves confidently,” Badoni was quoted as saying by PTI.
After a poor run in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he managed just 190 runs in 9 innings and got out 8 times out of 9 innings to deliveries outside the off-stump, Kohli will look to get back in the groove amidst massive fanfare and spotlight.
Virat Kohli’s Ranji Trophy record
Kohli, who made his Ranji debut against Tamil Nadu in 2006, has played 23 matches and scored 1,574 runs including five centuries at an impressive average of 50.77. His last Ranji appearance came in 2012 against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad where Delhi lost the match comprehensively.
Year-wise stats and records of Virat Kohli in the Ranji Trophy
2006-07: 6 matches, 257 runs, 1 fifty, HS 90
2007-08: 5 matches, 373 runs, 2 centuries, HS 169
2008-09: 4 matches, 174 runs, 2 fifties, HS 83
2009-10: 3 matches, 374 runs, 1 century, two fifties, HS 145
2010-11: 4 matches, 339 runs, 2 centuries, highest score 173
2012-13: 1 match, 57 runs, HS 43
Delhi captain Ayush Badoni has ended the suspense by revealing the batting position of Virat Kohli in his comeback Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
