Virat Kohli’s long-awaited Ranji Trophy comeback after 12 years and 86 days was over in fifteen balls. That’s all it took for over 10,000 fans to head for the exits at the Arun Jaitley Stadium after his innings ended with just six runs.
The day before, the Delhi Police had to resort to a lathi charge to control the overwhelming crowd at the stadium. Over 15,000 fans had gathered to witness Kohli’s first Ranji Trophy game for Delhi since November 2012.
“There was a rush at the time of entry as only one gate was being used by DDCA,” Delhi Police said in a statement Thursday. “No reports of any injuries. The situation is normal.” Only Gates 16 and 17 were open for the public, but as the numbers swelled, Gate 18 was also opened to ease congestion.
The game even saw a security breach when a fan jumped onto the field and touched Kohli’s feet while he was fielding in the slip cordon.
Kohli out, Ranji scenes return
Once Kohli departed, the once-buzzing stadium emptied. Social media was quick to capture the contrast.
One viral image showed the Gautam Gambhir Stand, packed to the brim a day before, now empty. The caption read, “Normalcy returned to Kotla. Now it’s looking like a Ranji Trophy match.”
Another user quipped, “Whoever is still at Kotla watching the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways are the real cricket lovers, not star-struck fans. Applause for them.”
‘King’ Kohli won’t be spared either
Kohli himself wasn’t immune to online trolling. One user wrote, “Baat Ranji khelne ki hui thi, run banane ki nahi” (The plan was to play Ranji, not to score runs). Another joked, “When your strike rate is lower than your age… #JustKohliThings.”
A photoshopped image of Rishabh Pant speaking to Kohli went viral, with a text bubble reading, “Bhaiya, Ranji bowlers bhi maar rahe hain… ghante ka king ho aap” (Brother, even Ranji bowlers are dismissing you… What kind of ‘king’ are you?).
Himanshu Sangwan… but which one?
Himanshu Sangwan, the Railways pacer who took Kohli’s prized wicket, became a marked man on social media. Kohli’s fans directed their anger at the "wrong Himanshu Sangwan" on Instagram.
A random Instagram user, also named Himanshu Sangwan, found his notifications flooded with abuse from enraged Kohli supporters. The bewildered individual had to put out a statement clarifying, "I am NOT the Himanshu Sangwan who dismissed Kohli at Kotla."
Investigative journalism on Chilli Paneer
The memes didn’t stop there. Stories published by prominent media houses surfaced online that Virat Kohli had ordered “chilli paneer instead of chicken” for lunch. Social media erupted in mockery at this ‘breaking news’.
Former cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra posted, “Breaking News.” Another user quipped, “Thank you for this ground-breaking and timely update.”
Others took it a step further, with one person suggesting, “Let’s declare chilli paneer as the national dish of India.” Another joked, “Now waiting for an update on what he orders for dinner.” A third summed it up: “This is investigative journalism at its peak.”
For Kohli, what was meant to be a “nostalgic homecoming” turned into a “15-ball cameo” overshadowed by memes, misplaced outrage, and even an “unauthorised deep dive into his lunch menu.”
Despite the social media storm, Kohli’s return to Ranji Trophy will still be marked as a special occasion. The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) is set to felicitate Kohli at the end of Day 2’s play between Delhi and Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
