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Fans fill stadium for Virat Kohli’s first domestic match in 12 years
Thousands of fans have filled a stadium in the Indian capital, Delhi, as Virat Kohli makes his much-anticipated return to domestic cricket after more than 12 years.
The 36-year-old star batter has turned out for Delhi on today [30] in the Ranji Trophy match against the Railways team at the well-attended Arun Jaitley stadium.
Kohli’s return follows the national cricket board’s directive for contracted players to play domestic cricket after India’s 3-1 Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss to Australia.
It also comes amid a personal lean patch in Test cricket, where the former Indian captain has struggled for consistency in recent years.
One of India’s greatest batters, Kohli has redefined modern cricket with his aggressive and technically sound batting. With more than 27,000 international runs across formats, he has been the backbone of India’s middle order for more than a decade.
But his red-ball form has dipped in recent years. Kohli averaged 54.97 in Test cricket until 2019, but since 2020, it has dipped to 30.72 – and just 22.47 in his last 10 Tests.
Since the start of 2024, his average of 23.2 is the ninth lowest among players with a minimum of 10 innings.
Kohli’s return to the domestic circuit has already generated immense excitement, with fans and experts alike keen to see whether this move helps reignite his form.
A large crowd gathered outside the stadium on Tuesday after word spread that Kohli would join the Delhi team for training ahead of the game.
Reports said even TV and YouTube journalists – a rare sight before a domestic match – were present. “He joined his Delhi team-mates for football drills, bouts of laughter, and 100m sprints, before it was time to hit the batting nets,” ESPNcricinfo reported.
Long queues have been reported outside the stadium as fans have been let in free to watch the game.
Akash Kumar told news agency ANI that he had been standing outside the stadium for almost five hours before the match began and that he had never seen such a crowd for a domestic match.
The captain of the Delhi team, Ayush Badoni, said everyone in the team was “excited and motivated” by Kohli’s arrival.
Pratham Singh, the captain of the opposing Railways team, said it was inspiring for them to see Kohli and that they would be “more motivated to do better” in this match.
Fans will have to wait a bit to watch Kohli bat as Delhi won the toss and chose to bowl.
India’s red-ball domestic Ranji Trophy season, running from 5 January to 10 March, features 32 teams.
Kohli made his domestic debut in 2006 at 18, scoring just 10 runs in his first match.
Over the next six years with the Delhi team, he notched five centuries and as many fifties. His last domestic appearance was in 2012.
[BBC]
Building on its success in seizing major narcotic stocks in 2025, the Navy continued to support the “A Nation United” National Mission in 2026. In continuation of these efforts, during an
operation conducted on the high seas south of Sri Lanka, the Navy apprehended eleven (11) suspects aboard two local multi-day fishing trawlers suspected of drug smuggling.
Based on shared information, by the Sri Lanka Navy and Police, this special operation was conducted off the southern coast, deploying the Navy‟s Offshore Patrol Vessels. The operation
resulted in the interception of a multi-day fishing trawler suspected of smuggling narcotics, and the apprehension of five (05) suspects on board.
During further operations in the same area, naval units seized another multi-day fishing trawler (01), along with communication equipment and six (06) additional suspects, also believed to be involved in drug smuggling.
This morning (25 Jan 26), the two intercepted fishing trawlers, along with fourteen (14) sacks laden with suspected narcotics and the suspects, were brought to the Dikovita Fisheries Harbour.
An expert examination by the Police Narcotic Bureau confirmed that the fourteen (14) sacks contained more than 184 kilograms of heroin and over 112 kilograms of ‘Ice’ (crystal methamphetamine).
The Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara, the Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, and the Inspector General of Police, Priyantha Weerasuriya, inspected the narcotics at the Dikovita harbour.
The Deputy Minister of Defence said that the current administration has initiated several projects for national development. As a flagship initiative, under the directives and guidance of the President, and under the supervision of the
Ministry of Defence, well-coordinated anti-narcotic raids have been launched.
This effort, part of “A Nation United” National Mission, involves the tri-forces, police, and all intelligence agencies working together under a coordinated plan to ensure that drug smugglers have no opportunity to bring narcotics into the country, he opined. He further stated that despite the national disaster situation, the state machinery, including the tri-forces, the police, and the public at large, remains united in rebuilding the nation, no room will be left for drug trafficking, which poses a severe threat to national security and public safety. Those
who engage in or support drug trafficking, under the cover of fishing activities, will find no escape, he added.
The Deputy Minister also reaffirmed that the tri-forces, police, and all law enforcement agencies are fully committed to their duty of suppressing this menace.
The Deputy Minister of Defence reported that, throughout 2025, a series of highly successful operations were conducted leading to numerous arrests. This was achieved through close coordination and mutual cooperation among the tri-services, the police, the Special Task Force, Police Narcotics Bureau, local law enforcement and international agencies. He noted that this
same spirit of cooperation and commitment has continued into 2026, resulting in the seizure of a large stockpile of drugs.
On behalf of the Honourable President, he extended gratitude to all who contributed to these efforts, specifically acknowledging the Commander of the Navy, the Inspector General of Police, the Police Narcotic Bureau, and the crews of the Navy’s Offshore
Patrol Vessels.
Moreover, the Deputy Minister declared that drug smuggling has become a national crisis, fueled by youth involvement and social crime. With borders secured under the “Nation United” National Mission, he warned traffickers to cease operations and urged users to abandon the destructive habit.
The Deputy Minister urged the public to report suspected drug smugglers to law enforcement via the hotlines 1818 or 1997 and also commended the role of media institutions and journalists in raising public awareness about the dangers of narcotics through responsible reporting.
Meanwhile, the two (02) multi-day fishing trawlers, along with a haul of narcotics, eleven (11) suspects, and communication equipment, were handed over to the Police Narcotic Bureau for
further investigation and legal proceedings.
Tanzania 131 in 38.3 overs (Acrey Pascal 55; Nihar Parmar 4-30, Nikhil Pol 3-23) lost to Japan 136/1 in 28.2 overs (Nihar Parmar 53*, Taylor Waugh 47) by nine wickets
[Cricbuzz]
New Zealand 135 in 36.2 overs (RS Ambrish 4-29, Henil Patel 3-23) lost to India 130/3 in 13.3 overs (Vaibhav Suryavanshi 40, Ayush Mhatre 53) by 7 wickets [DLS Method]
[Cricbuzz]
Three arrested with narcotics valued at Rs123 million at BIA
Navy intercepts 02 narcotics-laden trawlers with 11 suspects in southern seas
Indonesian Naval Ship ‘KRI SULTAN ISKANDAR MUDA – 367’ departs island
U19 World Cup: Japan defeat Tanzania by nine wickets
U19 World Cup: Ambrish’s four-fer powers India to third straight win
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