Vadodara: Batting legend Virat Kohli arrived in Vadodara on Wednesday ahead of the first ODI of the India–New Zealand series to be played here on Sunday, January 11 (from 1:30 pm). Even before his arrival, a massive crowd of fans had gathered outside the airport, and as soon as Kohli stepped out, he was completely surrounded. The crowd was so dense that Kohli had to make a great effort to reach the car arranged for him. Security personnel stationed around him were forced to work hard to keep cricket fans at a safe distance to ensure his security.
Having retired from T20Is and Test cricket, Kohli is currently in excellent form in the ODI format. His form was on full display recently in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored a century in one match and a half-century in another while representing Delhi. Millions of fans are eagerly waiting to see him in action in the first match of the series on Sunday. The Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara has a seating capacity of around 35,000, and tickets for Sunday’s match were sold out almost immediately.
#WATCH | Gujarat: Former Indian Captain and Star Cricketer Virat Kohli arrives at Vadodara for Team India's ODI match against New Zealand on 11th January. pic.twitter.com/cQbhCghMZy
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2026
As Kohli emerged from the airport on Wednesday, chants of “Kohli… Kohli…” echoed all around. Most fans had their mobile phones ready to take selfies with him. In their eagerness to get closer, people began pushing forward, leading to chaos. Amid the commotion, concerns were raised about Kohli’s safety and the possibility of an untoward incident due to the heavy rush. Kohli himself appeared visibly tense. Fortunately, no unpleasant incident occurred, and he managed to reach his car safely.
Scenes of fans turning out in huge numbers—similar to what was seen in the past during the peak popularity of Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni—have often been witnessed in Kohli’s case, with Wednesday’s episode being the latest example. Kohli last played an ODI in Vadodara back in 2010, 16 years ago. At that time, his career had just begun to take shape, whereas now he is approaching the final phase of his illustrious international journey.
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