Virat Kohli makes headlines for the first time in six years: Driving to Delhi Stadium before the second Test between India and Australia

It may surprise you to learn that only three of Virat Kohli ‘s 105 Test matches have taken place on his home turf of Delhi. Kohli grew up playing cricket at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the national capital, formerly known as the Feroz Shah Kotla. If you sift through YouTube, you can find a 15-minute video of a young Kohli working out at the venue. Kohli, who began his career as a 17-year-old protégé trying to find his feet, will return to the same stadium where a stand has been named after him as India takes on Australia in the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Kohli caused a stir on social media two days before the start of the Test by sharing an emotional post. Kohli shared a photo story on Instagram while driving to the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where he has a long history. “A long drive to the stadium in Delhi after a long time. Such a nostalgic sensation, “He captioned the piece.

Kohli, who was born and raised in Delhi, relocated to Mumbai in 2016 and settled there after marrying actress Anushka Sharma in 2017. Kohli also owns a home in Gurugram, which he bought in 2015. That was also the last year Kohli played a Test match in the city he knows so well. What makes the connection even more compelling is Kohli’s track record at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Kohli has amassed 467 runs in three Tests, including two fifties and a double-century. Kohli played his first Test in Delhi ten years ago, during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring 1 and 42 against Australia.

Kohli returned to the venue in 2015 against South Africa, scoring 44 and 88 in his first home match as captain. It was the icing on the cake for Kohli, who led India to victory by 337 runs. Two years later, Kohli produced his best batting performance, scoring 243 – his fifth double-century of the season – as India drew with Sri Lanka. Another astonishing fact is that Kohli has only played one match at the venue since December 2017 – an ODI against Australia in 2019. His last T20I at the stadium was against New Zealand in November of 2016.

As Kohli looks to regain his Test form, what better place to do so than at the same venue that helped him take his first steps toward superstardom? After regaining his form in T20Is and ODIs, Kohli now has the opportunity to write a fairytale return to Delhi and end his three-plus-year drought in Tests in front of a raucous crowd.