Delhi secured an innings and 19-run victory over Railways on the third day of their Ranji Trophy match at Arun Jaitley Stadium with excellent bowling performances from off-spinner Shivam Sharma who took 5 wickets for only 33 runs.

Delhi made a total of 374 in the first innings, having added 40 runs to their overnight score, which was a lead of 133 runs. In reply, Railways had a bad time and were bundled out for a mere 114 runs. Although they won the match craftily, this was the second match Delhi had won in the season, and that was not sufficient to reach the quarterfinals; they came third in Group D after Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Dull Atmosphere and Fan Excitement

The atmosphere was rather dull at the Kotla in contrast to the first two days' excitement. The crowd greeted Virat Kohli with roaring cheers. But, as the Railways lost their horses in quick succession, the cheers mellowed.

Three fans managed to sneak past security before the final whistle and got onto the field to get close to Kohli, who was playing a Ranji Trophy match for the first time in 12 years. "The craze for Virat bhaiya is tremendous. But it is wrong for fans to jump onto the field. We made fun of it within the team. Thankfully, they weren’t threatening; they just said, 'Please tell your security not to hit us,'" said Shivam Sharma.

Shivam Sharma's Impressive Return

Having made a return to the Delhi Ranji team after four years, Shivam had ever only played a total of three matches this season, making an impression in the game against Railways. “There was some wear and tear on the surface but the pitch wasn’t expected to finish fast. We were hopeful of a good result, but this exceeded all expectations,” he states.

Railways' batting struggled in their second innings. Opener Suraj Ahuja was out for just 1 run, bowled by left-arm seamer Siddhant Sharma. Although Vivek Singh and Mohammed Saif put together a small partnership of 31 runs for the second wicket, it didn't last long. Delhi captain Ayush Badoni brought Sharma into the game, and he took a wicket with his very first ball, getting rid of Vivek. He then quickly dismissed Saif as well.

Sharma's Bowling Masterclass

As the match wore on, Sharma began to get into rhythm, more so in his second spell, as the ball got a little older. He had sent Karn Sharma, who had been a real thorn for Delhi in the first innings, back and then took the all-important wicket of Himansu Snagwan, who had earlier dismissed Kohli. Sharma completed a fine performance by sending back Rahul Sharma to the pavilion, thus completing a five-wicket haul.

In the past, Shivam had appeared for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League, and he credits his success to the varied experiences he has derived from playing in tournaments across the length and breadth of the country. “I have improved my stock ball. In the last couple of years, I have played in different parts of the country, whether it is Maharashtra, Kolkata, or Assam. This exposure matters a lot to me,” he said.

Balancing Formats and Future Aspirations

"Concentrating too much on white-ball cricket has impacted my bowling," said the 31-year-old cricketer. "T20s led me to up my bowling speed; I have to say, in the last two years, I have worked very hard to come back to the correct pace for four-day cricket, mainly focusing on single wicket bowling."