Big crowd turns up for Kohli as Delhi finds some rhythm

Virat's return is part of a broader effort to rein in the superstar culture, but on this day, the capital was there for its superstar

- Samreen Razzaqui

NEW DELHI: Neither a working Thursday morning nor the laze of the winters could prevent the crowd from building up at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. It had been a while since a domestic game had brought thousands to the stands, but it had become evident in the last couple of days that this was far from being just another match. It was the return of Delhi's own Virat Kohli, after all. In what is now a rare sight in domestic cricket, the crowd poured in, chanting his name (and RCB's), eager for a glimpse of their hometown hero in Ranji Trophy whites.

Kohli's return may have been prompted by the recent struggles of Indian stars on the international stage and a broader effort to rein in cricket's superstar culture, but on this day, under the golden sun, Delhi was there for its superstar.

This was Kohli, back where it all began, ruling his kingdom. It wasn't just locals that flocked to the kilometre-long queues at the gates but loyalists from cities in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana too.

At the toss, the crowd's excitement was put on hold as Delhi skipper Ayush Badoni opted to bowl first against Railways, prompting a longer wait to watch Kohli bat. The decision proved to be effective as the Delhi seamers dismantled Railways' top four sent back to pavilion in the first session.

The team got off to a shaky start losing Vivek Singh (0 runs off 14) and Anchit Yadav (7 off 9) early to Siddhant Sharma and Navdeep Saini respectively. Skipper Suraj Ahuja (14 off 14) showed some intent but was dismissed by Siddhant.