All eyes are on Delhi in the final round of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 group stage, as Virat Kohli makes his long-awaited return to domestic cricket after more than a decade. The former India captain, who last played for Delhi in the competition in 2012, will be hoping to shake off a period of underwhelming form in red-ball cricket and rediscover his best. At the Arun Jaitley Stadium on day one, a packed crowd gathered to witness his comeback as Delhi took control, claiming five early wickets against Railways.
Elsewhere, Mumbai delivered a ruthless performance against Meghalaya, with Shardul Thakur claiming a hat-trick and leaving the opposition reeling at 2/6. KL Rahul also returned to action, batting at number three for Karnataka in Bangalore. As the race for quarterfinal spots intensifies, the performances of India’s top stars, including Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shubman Gill, will be under scrutiny.
In a tight Group D, the winner of the Delhi vs. Railways match will need help from other results to secure qualification, while Tamil Nadu leads Group D, with teams like Chandigarh and Saurashtra pushing for a place in the knockout stages. The final round promises thrilling action across all groups, with only eight teams set to advance.
