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Virat Kohli's Ranji Trophy return was cut short after Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan dismissed him for just 6 runs in the first innings of the match at Delhi's Aun Jaitley Stadium. Kohli didn't get to bat in the second innings as Delhi handed Railways a defeat by an innings in the group match. Despite the negative result his team incurred, Railways' Himansu Sangwan made headlines for the fact that he clean-bowled the great Virat Kohli.
After the conclusion of the match, Himanshu reportedly also reached out to Kohli to get his autograph on the ball he used to dismiss the batting stalwart. During a conversation with Dainik Jagaran, Himanshu revealed what Kohli told him after he reached out for his sign on the match ball.
"What a ball it was; it was a beautiful delivery. I really enjoyed that!", Kohli reportedly said before giving an autograph on the ball.
Himanshu plays for the Railways team at present but had played for Delhi at the under-19 level. As Virat came to know about that he said, "I've heard about you. You're a good bowler. Best wishes for the future."
Kohli giving autograph to Himanshu Sangwan,Most Down to Earth cricketer pic.twitter.com/1dGGQQzQQo
— Ultimate VK Fan (@UltimateVKFan) February 2, 2025
Delhi Beat Railways Despite Virat Kohli's Poor Show
For Delhi, off-spinner Shivam Sharma grabbed five wickets as Delhi ended their Ranji Trophy league campaign on a high, sealing a bonus point win over Railways. Resuming the day at 334 for seven, Delhi ended up with 374 all out in the first session to take a 133-run lead.
Railways batters played some reckless shots that expedited the outcome of the match.
They were all out for 114 in 30.4 overs in the afternoon session to suffer an innings defeat, handing Delhi seven points. It also denied the crowd a chance to see batting icon Virat Kohli in action for a second time in this match.
For Delhi, Sumit Mathur (86), who was batting on 78 overnight, could not reach the three-figure mark as Kohli's conqueror on day two, Himanshu Sangwan, ended with four wickets.
It was Delhi's second win of the season but they out of knockouts race from Elite Group D with Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu have qualified with 25 points. Delhi logged 21 points.
The match had attracted national attention because of one man - Kohli who returned to Ranji Trophy after 13 years.
The spectators were robbed of the opportunity to see Kohli in the second innings as Railways batters self-destructed on a slow and low surface.
The former India captain himself would not have minded another hit in the middle after managing six off 15 balls on day two.
Kohli, who returned to domestic cricket after 13 years, also spent a long time in the dressing room with his teammates, shaking hands and posing for pictures.
The star cricketer also dropped into Railways dressing room to meet the opposition players.