Virat Kohli's return to Ranji causes crowd frenzy at Delhi stadium, few injured

Ranji Trophy 2024-25: The situation outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium turned chaotic before Virat Kohli's return to the first-class tournament in the match against Railways on Thursday, January 30.

In Short

• Security at the stadium was not able to control the huge crowd
• A few fans were injured due to pushing and pulling near Gate 16
• The Bishan Singh Bedi Stand was opened to accommodate the spectators on Thursday

Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji Trophy was marred by chaos that took place outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. On Thursday, January 30, Kohli took the field for the first time in the first-class tournament in 12 years during the match against Suraj Ahuja’s Railways. Fans were excited about seeing their favourite star and flocked the venue in large numbers.

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But it turned chaotic outside the venue as fans were injured. Outside Gate 16, the crowd was involved in pushing each other, which led to a couple of fans falling near the entry gate and getting injured. A police bike was damaged and several left behind their shoes. At least three people got injured in the chaos.

The injured fans were treated by the DDCA security and police near the gate. One of the fans also needed a bandage on the leg. A security guard was also injured while trying to get the situation under control.

Security officers make full efforts

It was evident that Delhi's cricket administrators had not anticipated such a large turnout. Initially, only three gates—including Gate 16—were scheduled to open for fans. However, given the overwhelming influx, an additional gate was eventually opened.

Fans began queuing outside Gates 16 and 17, the closest to the Delhi Gate Metro Station, as early as 8 am IST, waiting for more than an hour before the gates were unlocked. To accommodate the extra spectators, another stand, the Bishan Singh Bedi Stand, was also opened. Initially, only the Gautam Gambhir Stand was intended to be accessible.

The growing tension amongst fans became clear as they jostled to get closer to the entrance. Many young fans began to feel uncomfortable as the pushing and pulling intensified while waiting for Gate 16 to open. At one point, a security officer warned fans to step back and suggested using other gates for entry.

Fans who had brought their children with them raised their kids on their shoulders to avoid suffocation in the crowded conditions. Those near the entry gate who saw the injured kept requesting the crowd behind them to retreat, but their pleas went ignored.

When the gate finally opened, security officers made a concerted effort to control the crowd and provide aid to the injured. However, there was very little security check at the gate. Despite the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) reportedly mandating that fans carry a copy of their Aadhar Card, many rushed to photocopy centres near the stadium for their documents. Yet, in the wake of the chaos, the identification was never checked.

There was confusion even after fans entered the venue. Several school and college-going youngsters left their bags near Gate 16, as requested by security. However, some of them who went to the stand next to the Gautam Gambhir Stand were not allowed access to the area where the bags had been collected.

After learning that Delhi won the toss and opted to bowl, a few fans wanted to leave, knowing that Kohli wouldn’t bat anytime soon. However, some of them were not permitted to leave the stand.

This led to arguments between fans and security officers, who appeared frustrated by the situation. After considerable back-and-forth, the security officials eventually allowed a few fans to leave the stand and retrieve their bags from the area near Gate 16. More security officers were added to the stand next to the GG stand, an hour after the match began.