Virat Kohli is set to play his first Ranji Trophy match in 12 years, representing Delhi against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Initially, the match was not scheduled for live coverage, but the BCCI has revised its broadcast plans. At least 10,000 fans are expected to attend, with the DDCA offering free tickets.
The Delhi vs Railways match will now be streamed live on JioCinema, though it remains unclear if it will be available on television. Further details are expected by January 29.
“A decision has been taken and JioCinema will live stream the game. So all the Virat Kohli fans who are not in Delhi, need not worry. They can watch their favourite player live,” a BCCI official told PTI, according to Hindustan Times.
Typically, the BCCI selects one marquee Ranji Trophy match for television and streaming coverage. For the upcoming round starting January 30, Karnataka vs Haryana, featuring KL Rahul, was the designated TV match. Punjab vs Bengal and Baroda vs Jammu & Kashmir were set for streaming. However, Kohli’s participation led to an exception for the Delhi vs Railways fixture.
Kohli last played a Ranji Trophy match in 2012. On Tuesday, he trained with the Delhi team at Arun Jaitley Stadium, focusing on backfoot shots against pacers and left-arm spinners, a type of bowling that has troubled him recently. Kohli had a challenging tour of Australia, scoring 190 runs in nine innings despite a century in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth.
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