Turnout at the Arun Jaitley stadium in New Delhi on Day 1 of IND vs WI 2nd Test was so poor that both teams were greeted by empty stands. On the contrary, the same venue was overcrowded when Virat Kohli returned to play in the Ranji Trophy earlier this year. Surely, this is a clear indication of how the former Indian Test cricketer was a crowd-puller, something that the current Indian side lacks at the moment.
Empty stands in Delhi without crowd puller Virat Kohli
A fan took to social media platform X to share a juxtapose image of the stands in Arun Jaitely stadium for the Ranji Trophy game against Delhi and Railways earlier in January, and the IND vs WI 2nd Test. Understandably, fans aren’t that excited to see the West Indies in action apart from the fact that the game has started on a weekday. It is pertinent to point out that the Ranji Trophy tie also started on a weekday. But the image does tell a story about how India is missing Virat’s aura.
Kohli returned to Ranji Trophy after a 12-year gap when Delhi took on Railways in January. The return of the superstar to domestic cricket saw next level craze among fans as they thronged to the Arun Jaitley stadium to see the star in action. The Delhi District Cricket Administration (DDCA) allowed free entry for fans, making the tie even grander.
Kohli ended up scoring just 6 runs in the game as he was clean bowled by Sangwan. Such was the aura commanded by Virat that fans started to leave the stadium after his dismissal and soon, the stands bore an empty look. Cut to May 2025, the stalwart shocked the world with his abrupt decision to retire from Tests just before the IND vs ENG series.
While there may be multiple arguments as to why there is a poor turnout for Day 1 of IND vs WI 2nd Test, surely Kohli’s presence in the Indian side could have drawn more audience. Meanwhile, a higher turnout can be expected on Day 2 and 3 of the contest as it will be a weekend.
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