Always special to go back and play at Arun Jaitley Stadium: Virat Kohli on playing 1st World Cup match in Delhi

Indian star batter Virat Kohli is excited to be back and playing India’s second World Cup match against Afghanistan at his home ground at the Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi.

Kohli mentioned that it’s a special feeling to play at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, despite the awkwardness of playing in front of a pavilion named after him. He appeared humble and grateful when reflecting on his cricket career and how far he has come from his early days in the sport.

“It’s a homecoming for you, we are going to Delhi. I’m sure it’s a very special feeling for you, you have grown up there and now you have a pavilion named after you so what’s the feeling that you are going through?” Rahul asked Kohli in the video posted by BCCI.

DDCA had unveiled a pavilion stand at the Feroz Shah Kotla after Virat Kohli in 2019 and the star batter opened on the unusual feeling of playing in front of a pavilion that now bears his name. To him, it’s a rather awkward sensation, one that he doesn’t like to discuss too much. However, the Indian cricketing legend admits that his return to the stadium, now adorned with more facilities and innovations, fills him with nothing but gratitude. It’s a reminder for him of how far he’s come from his early days on this hallowed cricketing turf.

“The memories are always fresh in your mind when you go back into those moments, you can still feel it because that is where everything started, that is where the selectors for the first time and you got an opportunity. So it’s always special to go back and play at the Arun Jaitley Stadium now. It’s a bit awkward for me, playing in front of the pavilion named after me. Honestly, I don’t like to talk about it a lot because it is a very awkward feeling but I just feel very grateful when I go back and see all the things that are present now and from where I started,” Kohli stated.

Virat Kohli’s emotional connection to the Arun Jaitley Stadium is thus not only special but also deeply personal. Therefore, the World Cup match at this venue will be a lot more than just a game for Kohli; it will be a journey back to where it all began.