The Delhi vs Railways match of the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy was quite in the limelight, primarily due to the return of Virat Kohli to domestic cricket after more than 12 years. Kohli is a legendary figure in world cricket and was scheduled to make a long-awaited appearance at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi for his comeback to the tournament in front of home fans.
The star batter was prominent on the field, but Day 2 of the match showed some surprising moments. Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated return ended early, as he was dismissed by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan. The 29-year-old bowler broke through Kohli’s defence after the Delhi batter had just hit him for a boundary, driving the ball past him with ease.
Virat Kohli’s departure left the crowd in shock, with many fans beginning to leave the stands soon after the wicket fell, signifying the significance of the dismissal. Railways took advantage of the opening but Delhi’s skipper Ayush Badoni, with Sumit Mathur, steadied the ship.
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The two added to the scoreboard importantly and Badoni, in particular, was in a great batting rhythm. Mathur settled in well at lunch, while Badoni’s attacking game was on display. He scored his half-century off 36 balls, with seven boundaries and a six off a towering blow.
And ..the crowd starts leaving the stadium after kohli departed @BCCI pic.twitter.com/9Qjrjks113
— vipul kashyap (@kashyapvipul) January 31, 2025
At Lunch, Delhi were 168/4 in 42 overs, still behind by 73 runs. Badoni was really looking to carry on from where he had begun and make this a big innings, something that had eluded him so far. He had been in outstanding form all through the season, but could never convert those fifty into hundreds. This was perhaps his best opportunity to make it count and set his team ahead in this high-profile match.
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Badoni’s form this season has been brilliant, scoring 452 runs in five matches at an average of 90.40. He was at his best when he scored a double century against Jharkhand, which earned him the Player of the Match award. Despite Badoni’s heroics, Delhi has had a mixed campaign in the Elite Group D with just one win, two losses, and three drawn matches.
