Virat Kohli’s return to Ranji Trophy triggers chaos at Delhi stadium

Star Indian batter Virat Kohli returned to the Ranji Trophy after a gap of 12 years to regain his form in international cricket.

The former Indian captain confirmed his availability for India’s domestic first-class tournament after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) implemented strict measures following their back-to-back defeats in the New Zealand Test series and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.

Virat Kohli, who plays for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, missed the team’s first game of the second round due to injury concerns and made his comeback to the tournament in a match against Railways.

His return to the tournament, however, resulted in a stampede-like situation as fans turned up in dozens to watch the star player play at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.

According to Indian media outlets, chaos erupted at the gates of the stadium when eager fans began pushing each other.

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Some of the fans fell on the ground, resulting in the injuries to three fans. In the stampede-like situation, a police bike was damaged while dozens of fans left behind their shoes.

Reports said that a security official also sustained injuries as he was attempting to control the situation.

Video footage from outside the stadium showed fans with kids raising them on their shoulders to avoid suffocation in the crowded conditions.

It is to be noted here that Delhi’s game against Railways is Virat Kohli’s first appearance in the Ranji Trophy after a gap of 12 years.

The right-handed batter played his last game in the Ranji Trophy 2012-13 season against Uttar Pradesh in Ghaziabad.

Kohli joins other top players including Indian captain Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal to play in the ongoing edition of the Ranji Trophy.