Team India star batter Virat Kohli didn’t have an ideal return to Ranji Trophy as he was dismissed cheaply in the first innings of Delhi’s group stage fixture against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Friday, January 31. Virat Kohli’s return to Ranji Trophy after a gap of 12 years was more like a celebration rather than just a domestic match, as the star batter managed to draw a large crowd to the stadium. On Day 1 of Delhi’s clash against Railways, a huge crowd gathered outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium early in the morning at 3 am to catch the glimpse of Virat Kohli walking out to the field by donning the Delhi jersey after a long time, Despite the heightened security arrangements by DDCA, the fan breached the security and invaded the pitch to touch ace batter’s feet. On Day 2, the fans at the stadium went berserk as they finally witnessed Virat Kohli strolling out to bat in the Delhi jersey. Over 15,000 people were present at the stadium just to watch the ace batter bat. However, the fans were disappointed that Kohli’s stay at the crease didn’t last too long as he was dismissed by Himanshu Sangwan for just runs. Virat Kohli was bamboozled by Sangwan’s swing bowling which rattled the star batter’s defense and hit the stumps. Following his 6-run dismissal, the question remains whether Virat Kohli is still fit to play Test Cricket? The batting legend was asked to return to Ranji Trophy by the BCCI selectors and Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir after he failed to make an impact in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. In the five-match Test series against Australia, Kohli aggregated just 190 runs, including a century, at an average of 23.75 in 9 innings. After scoring a century in the Perth opener, scores read 7, 11, 3, 36, 5, 17, and 6 in the next 8 innings.Virat Kohli’s lean patch in Test cricket has been a topic of debate among cricket pundits and fans alike. Last year, Kohli scored only 417 runs, including a century, at an average of 24.52 in 10 matches. The star batter missed the entire home Test series against England due to the birth of his second child Akaay. Also read: Can Virat Kohli's return to Ranji Trophy spark a resurgence in his Test career? Star batter's stats decodedOver the last 4 years, Virat Kohli has been performing well in ODIs and T20Is, but the struggle in Test cricket has continued. His slump in form in the longest format of the game has raised questions whether he would be able to return to his peak form. If we look at his Test career between 2020 to 2024, the star batter aggregated 2005 runs, including three centuries, at an average of 31.32 in 38 matches. At home, Virat Kohli scored 778 runs at an average of 29.92 in 16 matches. Kohli’s Test career during the period 2020 to 2024 is average compared to his peak period between 2014 to 2019. During the peak period, Virat Kohli was in a brilliant form as he amassed 5625 runs, including 22 centuries, at an average of 58.71 in 62 matches. At home, 2699 runs, including 10 centuries, at an average of 77.11 in 26 matches. If we compare his Test career graph between 2014 to 2019 and 2020 to 2024, it is evident that Virat Kohli’s performance in the longest format of the game has declined, completely his peak form where he would dominate the bowlers with his aggressive batting. His average has dropped from 58.71 to a modest 31.32, and his century count has drastically diminished. Virat Kohli’s recent struggles with his form against quality bowling attacks raised concerns about his future in Test Cricket. Also read: Virat Kohli asks security not to hit pitch invader during Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy match (WATCH)Following India’s disastrous Test tour of Australia, there was reportedly discussion on the future of senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Test Cricket as many youngsters knocked the doors of the BCCI selectors by performing well in domestic cricket, especially Ranji Trophy. Virat Kohli returning to peak form in Test cricket will require significant turnaround as the competition for the spots in the Indian Test team has intensified with the emergence of young talents. Despite struggling with his form in red-ball cricket, Virat Kohli never returned to play domestic cricket to revive his form just like how Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and others did during their careers. These Indian batting stalwarts would often return to play domestic cricket, especially Ranji Trophy, in order to regain form and confidence when they faced lean patches at the international level. The BCCI selectors directing Virat Kohli and other star Indian players to back and play domestic cricket was a clear warning that their place in the India Test team is no longer guaranteed solely based on their past performances. With the England Test tour scheduled to take place in the month of June, Virat Kohli needs to quickly regain his form to ensure that he remains in contention for a spot in India’s Test squad. Kohli’s Ranji Trophy return was not ideal but he can try to look to improve his game in the longest format of the game by playing County Championship in order to get  acclimatized to the English conditions ahead of the five-match Test series against England.