Virat Kohli’s eagerly-awaited comeback into the Ranji Trophy did not yield as good returns as it could have had as he scored 6 off 15 in his innings for he only was there at the crease for 23 minutes. However, Delhi went ahead to win that game against Railways by innings and 19 runs at Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Despite an underwhelming performance, Kohli’s comeback to the prestigious domestic competition after 13 years has been celebrated by many, including his former teammate Ravichandran Ashwin. The seasoned spinner believes Kohli still has plenty to offer to Indian cricket in the years ahead. However, Ashwin also took a swipe at certain fans who claimed that the Ranji Trophy was ‘blessed’ by Kohli’s presence, following the hype surrounding his return.

“It’s a great thing when it comes to Virat Kohli. He is extremely motivated. I know that. His intention is to play Test cricket and do well. I actually think he has a lot left in the tank. But all said and done, the crowd that turned up, it was great. Such crowds should be there for every Ranji Trophy match,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.

“I saw one tweet saying ‘Ranji Trophy is blessed’. I would just say, pay some attention. Do you even know the history of the Ranji Trophy? It has been going on for so many years. It has been a premier tournament,” said Ashwin.

“Sachin Tendulkar, who is a legendary cricketer, used to play the Ranji Trophy at all times. Players benefit from playing in the tournament. For cricket, players are not important, but for players, cricket is very important,” he added.

Kohli’s appearance added considerable glamour to the game, as 12,000 plus on both the first two days turned up to see him bat. With Kohli yet to get his run going against deliveries that seem to keep escaping his off stump, Ashwin said it’s a significant trophy and something every cricketer wants to do. Ranji Trophy, in fact, is one tournament from which many great Indian cricketers have been produced over the years.