With his aura and intensity, Virat Kohli could bend anything to his will. But, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday, his mere presence was enough to “inspire” and “overwhelm” his teammates and opponents alike in one of the most keenly followed matches in the history of Ranji Trophy. When he saw the long queue of spectators jostling to enter the stadium much before the first ball was delivered in Kohli’s comeback game in domestic red-ball cricket, his Delhi teammate Navdeep Saini was convinced that this was not going to be just another first-class match.

Kohli, their idol