Virat Kohli enjoys a massive fan following across the globe but in India, his homeland, the star batter’s popularity is on a different level.
The Kohli mania will be full on display next week when the former India skipper will turn up in a Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. Kohli has reportedly confirmed his availability for Delhi's next Ranji fixture against Railways, scheduled to begin on January 30 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The match will mark Kohli’s return to India's premier red-ball domestic tournament after over a decade, having last played in 2012.
According to a report published in Dainik Jagran, Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is making special arrangements for the return of Kohli to domestic cricket.
Apart from strengthening the security at the venue, DDCA is also making arrangements to host about 10,000 spectators at the stadium. Therefore, North End and Old Club House will be opened for fans.
The report further stated that if extra seating arrangements are needed, it will be made on the ground floor of the rest of the stands.
As per the report, DDCA also announced that no tickets will be issued for the match, allowing the spectators to watch this match for free.
Notably, the BCCI has announced sweeping changes to Indian cricket team's player regulations in the aftermath of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy debacle.
India conceded the BGT 1-3 to Australia for the first time since 2014-15. Before the tour Down Under, the Rohit Sharma-led side also suffered a humiliating 0-3 whitewash at the hands of New Zealand in home conditions.
Cracking the whip against the players, the BCCI has decided to implement a stringent 10-point guidelines, including making participation in domestic tournaments mandatory to be eligible for national team selection and central contracts. It also warned of disciplinary action in case of non-compliance.
While the likes of Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant represented their respective domestic sides when the Ranji Trophy resumed on January 23, Kohli wasn't available for selection for Delhi's match against Saurashtra due to neck sprain.
Talking about Virat Kohli’s BGT exploits, he began the marquee series with a second innings hundred (100*) at Perth but managed to amass only 90 runs in his other eight innings combined.
The age-old problem of fishing outside the off stump led to Kohli’s downfall throughout the tour, with Australian quicks Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc exploiting his weakness.
While Kohli finished the tour of Australia with an average of 23.75, he scored only 440 runs in 21 Test innings at an average of 23.15 last year. As a result, his career average has dropped to 46.85 after 123 Tests.
