New Delhi: Several fans got injured as chaotic situations erupted outside the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in the hope of getting a glimpse of Virat Kohli, who returned to play in Ranji Trophy for Delhi after 12 years.
Kohli took to the field as hosts Delhi won the toss and opted to field against Railways. A large number of his admirers thronged the venue to watch him in action in a rare appearance in domestic cricket.
But events spilled out of hand outside the ground as the gathere crowd got unruly. Outside gate number 16, people pushed each other, leading to two person falling to the ground and get injured.
THE FANS AT ARUN JAITLEY STADIUM FOR THE BIGGEST SUPERSTAR IN MODERN ERA 🐐
– This is King Kohli’s Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/l2WNCxeFga
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 30, 2025
In the commotion, a police bike got damaged apart from three people getting injured. To avoid stampede, several fan left behind their shoes, reports indiatoday.in.
At least three people are reported to have received treatment from Delhi and District Cricket Association security personnel. The Delhi Police also helped in first aid as one fan needed bandage on one leg.
In the melee, a security guard also received injuries while attempting to bring the situation under control.
Additional security measures
Delhi police and the DDCA officials had taken additional measures in anticipation of a large turnout. But even those measures seemed insufficient as after initially planning to open three gates to facilitate inflow of spectators, the DDCA had to open another gate.
Gates 16 and 17 that are closest to the Delhi Gate Metro Station ere swarmed with people as early as 8 am IST, a good 90 minutes before the scheduled start of the game.
Over eager fans grew restless and jostled to enter the ground as police officers warned them to step back but it was largely ignored.
As pressure grew as some got injured, police couldn’t check identification of fans after mandating them to carry a copy of their Aadhar card.
A large number of Virat Kohli’s admirers thronged the Arun Jaitley Stadium to watch him in action in his first appearance for Delhi in Ranji Trophy in 12 years. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
