NEW DELHI: Amidst the cheering crowd at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, India superstar Virat Kohli, dressed in shorts, a T-shirt, and a sweater bearing the Delhi District Cricket Association logo, stepped out of the dressing room. The Delhi players were waiting for him to join in the light football session.
“Chalo bey, shuru karo,” Virat said, marking his return to the Ranji Trophy after 12 years. His last appearance for Delhi was against Uttar Pradesh in 2012. For Kohli, it isn’t just a comeback — it is a homecoming.
He shared moments of laughter, exchanged high-fives, draped his arm over teammates’ shoulders, and offered words of encouragement to a young Delhi squad.
After a while, he returned to the dressing room and came out pulling his cricket kit.
Delhi team manager Mahesh Bhati, who had coached Kohli during his Under-17 and Under-19 days, noticed him and signalled to some of the young boys to help the veteran batter with his kit.
However, Kohli, with a smile, declined the offer. He carried his own gear and made his way toward the nets.
“He is still the same. He is the same Virat for everyone,” Bhati told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
“In fact, on the first day of the training session, he went inside the dressing room and carried his own kit bag. Then, he practiced the entire day and carried his kit bag back to the dressing room.
I said, ‘Virat, teri help kara dete hain [“Virat, let us help you].’ He replied, ‘Bhaia, kya baat kar rahe ho? Mere khelne ka samaan hai, mai khud leke jaunga [“Bhaia, what are you saying? It’s my playing gear, I’ll carry it myself]’. He carried the kit bag on his shoulders and went inside the dressing room,” Bhati said.
Before getting into an intense practice session, Kohli, as he unpacked his cricket gear and prepared, engaged in a thoughtful conversation with Bhati.
The two were seen sharing laughs during their chat.
“I was the coach when Virat played Under-19. He played under my coaching only. We have shared a great bond since the beginning. I also love cracking jokes, and so does he. So, we were recalling old memories and bursting into laughter. The first thing he asked was, ‘Bhaia, matting pe ab ladke nahi khelte kya? [Bhaia, don’t boys play on matting anymore?]’ I said, ‘Pagal ho gaya hai tu! Matting kaha hai ab? Ab kahin Delhi mein matting nahi milegi [Where is matting now? You won’t find matting anywhere in Delhi anymore].”
“He said he used to play cut shots and pull shots on matting. He added, ‘Bhaia, maza bada aata tha pull marne mein, awaaz sahi aati thi.'” [Bhaia, hitting pull shots was so much fun; the sound was just perfect]
“Whichever player has played on matting, you will see them play cut and pull shots elegantly, freely, and with confidence. The old players, including Virat, do that really well. It’s because of the cricket they played on matting.”
“Virat also recalled the moments when he used to play on grounds with uneven surfaces and long grass. Back then, matting used to serve as the pitch for them. Bouncers, cuts, pulls, and short-pitched deliveries were the scenes cricketers loved, and Virat spoke about all of that.”
“Maine kaha, ‘Matting ki story khatam ho gayi hai, cricket bahut change ho gayi hai [The matting story is over; cricket has changed a lot]’ He said, ‘Cricket ka maza usi mein tha [The fun of cricket was in that].”
“Virat also shared an incident when he and another batter were playing on matting with thick grass all around. He hit a shot and assumed it was a boundary, but when they came together for a fist bump, the fielder ran them out,” Bhati shared.
The Ranji Trophy clash between Delhi and Railways is set for January 30 at Kohli’s home ground of the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Such is the excitement for it, the match will be broadcast live on JioCinema. On the ground, though, Kohli’s return to domestic cricket after more than a decade is sure to be a memorable moment for those who will make the journey to Old Delhi.