Once again, doors were left open for milestone man Virat Kohli at the Arun Jaitley Stadium as the former Indian skipper returned home for Team India's second match of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Wednesday. After hammering Australia in its World Cup opener, Kohli-starrer Team India squared off against Afghanistan in match No.9 of the showpiece event in New Delhi.
Local hero Kohli received a rousing reception from Delhi fans. The 34-year-old was cheered and celebrated for his fielding throughout the thrilling contest between the two Asian rivals. Interestingly, 'Kohli-Kohli' chants at the Delhi Stadium started to ring loud when Afghanistan's Naveen-ul-Haq walked out to bat in the death overs. While many considered Kohli's return to Feroz Shah Kotla as an emotional moment, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir issued a noteworthy statement about the homecoming of the batting icon.
'Won't say it's an emotional moment'
Speaking to Star Sports, the former India opener explained why he doesn't consider Kohli’s return an emotional moment. “I won't say it's an emotional moment but I will say it's a very proud feeling. When you turn out in front of your home crowd, a lot of your childhood memories come back. The first time you must have entered the stadium. Obviously, it could have been different at that time. Your U-19, U-16 experiences, your good, bad and ugly, your brilliant - all those experiences start coming back. All the memories start coming back. And more importantly, when you come and play a World Cup game - Not a lot of times you get to play a World Cup game at your home ground. When you come back and you get your pavilion, what better feeling? Because you never realised when started taking this sport or when you entered this stadium that you would be playing in front of your pavilion,” Gambhir said.
Kohli was honoured with a stand in 2019
{{/usCountry}}Speaking to Star Sports, the former India opener explained why he doesn't consider Kohli’s return an emotional moment. “I won't say it's an emotional moment but I will say it's a very proud feeling. When you turn out in front of your home crowd, a lot of your childhood memories come back. The first time you must have entered the stadium. Obviously, it could have been different at that time. Your U-19, U-16 experiences, your good, bad and ugly, your brilliant - all those experiences start coming back. All the memories start coming back. And more importantly, when you come and play a World Cup game - Not a lot of times you get to play a World Cup game at your home ground. When you come back and you get your pavilion, what better feeling? Because you never realised when started taking this sport or when you entered this stadium that you would be playing in front of your pavilion,” Gambhir said.
Kohli was honoured with a stand in 2019
{{/usCountry}}Two-time World Cup winner Gambhir played domestic cricket for Delhi. A stand was named after Gambhir at the Arun Jaitley Stadium back in 2019. Former India skipper Kohli was also honoured with a stand in his name at the Delhi stadium in 2019. The iconic Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium was renamed the Arun Jaitley Stadium on 12 September 2019. Besides Kohli and Gambhir, several icons of the game such as Mohinder Amarnath and Bishan Singh Bedi have a stand named after them in the national capital.
“So it's always a great moment, that just describes your hard work, the amount of hard work you have put in, the lows and loneliness, and also feeling the emotion you go through as a player and sportsman and also as a human being. When you realise that all that is worth it. When you start winning in front of your home ground. And in front of your pavilion. So I feel it's not an emotional moment," Gambhir added.