Fans Go Crazy, Class II Girl Bunks School To Watch Virat Kohli Play News24 –

The atmosphere at the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways on Thursday was nothing short of electric, as thousands of fans erupted in excitement at the mention of Virat Kohli’s name. His presence turned the game into a spectacle, with a surge of supporters flocking to the stadium in such numbers that the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) had to scramble to accommodate them. The DDCA had initially estimated a crowd of around 10,000 for Kohli’s long-awaited return to domestic cricket, but the turnout far exceeded expectations and forced last-minute adjustments.

Fans In Huge Numbers To Watch Virat Kohli

While the stadium had a capacity of just 6,000, the DDCA opened the ‘Gautam Gambhir Stand’ for fans. Seeing the crowd swell rapidly, they were compelled to open the larger ‘Bishan Singh Bedi Stand,’ which holds about 11,000 spectators. The commotion added to this was by the carcade of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who passed the venue at roughly around the same time. A little bit of chaos was therefore caused outside. However, Delhi Police later issued a statement assuring that everything remained in place even though there was a small flutter.

Virat Kohli’s Presence Makes The Ranji Trophy Match A Big Hit

“I have been involved in Delhi cricket for more than 30 years but I have not witnessed such scenes for a Ranji Trophy game. It just shows the Kohli’s popularity is unmatched,” an overwhelmed DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma told PTI.

This level of fan excitement for this Ranji Trophy match rivaled some of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket. The last first-class match here at home saw this kind of gathering when Sachin Tendulkar had his last outing for Mumbai at the small Lahli town back in 2013, in which around 8,000 watched the action played out within the venue devoid of proper stands. The ‘Gautam Gambhir Stand’ was packed to the brim within minutes of entering the Arun Jaitley Stadium, while the lower tier of the ‘Bishan Bedi Stand’ was packed to the gills, crossing the 12,000 mark before the toss.

Young Kids In The Crowd

“We have taken off from school to watch Kohli,” said the kids in a group of four.

When a Kohli fan was informed that Kohli will not be batting right away, as Delhi had opted to field first, the crowd was unperturbed and said “It doesn’t matter; we will see him field”. Miraculously, a young girl studying in class II was also there. Fans had started queuing up from 6 am itself, showing just how powerful Kohli’s magnetic draw is-even for a domestic fixture.

(With PTI Inputs)