Many lined up outside the Arun Jaitley stadium as early as 5am
Daya Sagar30-Jan-2025The Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways was to start at 9.30am, but fans were lined up outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium from 5am itself. They were afraid they might not find a seat in the limited stands available for the game and, therefore, would miss a chance to see their favourite, Virat Kohli, in action. These fans had come not only from the NCR region but also from the surrounding states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.On Wednesday morning, when this reporter reached the Delhi Gate metro station, the closest one to the stadium, the scene was completely different from other Ranji matches. There was a huge crowd both inside and outside the metro station, just like during an IPL match, and was shouting “Kohli, Kohli… RCB, RCB”.Related
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Two law students, Tejas and Nirvan, had come from Sonipat, Haryana. When asked if they had come for Kohli, Tejas jokingly said, “No brother, we have come to support the Railways team.” And both burst out laughing. “We have come here just to see Virat Kohli, else who bunks classes to watch a Ranji match,” Nirvan said.On the way to the stadium, the crowd had increased manifold. Thousands of spectators were in front of Gate 15 and 16, waiting for the gates to be opened. There was even a stampede briefly but the police controlled it immediately and no one was hurt.There crowd had people of all ages and backgrounds. Vijay Sharma, a Noida resident, had taken leave from his office so that he could bring his wife and two daughters to the match and they could watch their favourite cricketer playing.
This is insane. I have never seen a Ranji match like this.#ViratKohli #RanjiTrophy pic.twitter.com/XiTYyCwGMa
— Daya sagar (@sagarqinare) January 30, 2025