Virat Kohli frenzy takes troubling turn as 3 fans invade pitch at once to meet India great, force long stoppage at Ranji

Virat Kohli may have failed to make a mark in the first innings of the Ranji Trophy match against Railways, but his ardent fans continued to fill the stands at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Day 3. As Delhi came out to field in the second innings, the numbers began to rise in the stands, leading to a breach of security yet again. 3 fans invaded the pitch on Saturday to meet Virat Kohli, causing significant delay(X)

During the first innings, a fan entered the ground to touch Kohli's feet in the same match. On Saturday, however, three fans managed to breach the security at once, sprinting the length of the ground to meet their idol. A host of police personnel, which also included the in-ground security, escorted the pitch invaders out.

The incident happened merely two overs before Lunch, causing a significant halt in the play.

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Thousands of fans had gathered to watch the Indian batting great in action during the second day's play, eager to witness a vintage Kohli masterclass. Instead, they saw a brief but eventful stay at the crease.

Walking in to loud chants of his name, Kohli began cautiously, surviving a few nervy moments before unleashing a trademark straight drive off pacer Himanshu Sangwan that sent the crowd into raptures. However, their joy was short-lived, as Sangwan’s very next delivery breached his defence, rattling the off-stump and silencing the stadium.

Kohli’s return to red-ball domestic cricket came as part of the BCCI's directive, urging international stars to feature in domestic matches after India's 3-1 series defeat in Australia. While Kohli and his contemporaries have been regulars in the IPL, their presence in the Ranji Trophy has been scarce in recent years.

Kohli's poor form

The Indian batting stalwart is enduring a rough patch in red-ball cricket, dating back to August last year. He failed to hit a single half-century throughout the five home Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand, with India facing an unprecended 0-3 whitewash to the Kiwis.

Kohli did make a strong start in the Test series in Australia, smashing a century in the first match in Perth, but failed to capitalise on the momentum. He failed to string together 100 runs in total across the remaining four Tests, as India faced another series defeat.

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