Sarah Waris was at the Arun Jaitley Stadium when Virat Kohli returned to the Ranji Trophy for the first time since 2012. It was nothing like she had ever anticipated.
The narrow lanes leading to the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi were buzzing with an electric energy rarely seen at a domestic fixture. By 3 am, fans had already started assembling outside the gates, some travelling overnight from Uttar Pradesh, their eyes bleary with sleep but hearts alight with anticipation. Their reason? Virat Kohli. The last of the modern greats, the biggest name in Indian cricket, had returned to the Ranji Trophy after 13 long years, and the Kotla was the only place to be.
The BCCI mandate, which ensured that top cricketers turn up for domestic cricket, had set the stage. When it was confirmed that Kohli would don the Delhi jersey again, the date - January 30 - was etched in every fan’s calendar. The tournament, often engulfed with empty stands, had transformed into a spectacle, with Delhiites reliving the nostalgia of watching their favourite son back on home soil.
You always knew it would be a game like no other, and we got a prelude two days before the match. The nets session of the Delhi team, usually a quiet affair, transformed into a carnival, with onlookers craning their necks for a mere glimpse of their hero. If for once, one glanced at the opposition, they would have found Railways, a team that had resigned itself to being a footnote. Their practice session on Wednesday, originally scheduled for later in the morning, was rescheduled to 7:30 am, a silent retreat in the face of the Kohli storm.
