Delhi cricket body faces embarrassment as only one candidate clears BCCI examinations

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has faced fresh embarrassment even before the new domestic cricket season has begun. After the delayed auctions for the Delhi Premier League T20, the association has now performed poorly in the national umpires’ and match referees’ examinations conducted by the BCCI. Out of 36 new inductees across the two panels, only one is from Delhi, while other state associations fared much better.

Ten persons were inducted into the BCCI referees’ panel, but no candidate from the DDCA qualified. Former India under-19 player Mayank Tehlan narrowly missed out. In the umpires’ panel, 26 were selected, with Jitendra Rautela, son of an auto driver, saving the DDCA from complete embarrassment.

Rautela, an MBA, scored 131.5 out of 150. He was one of four DDCA candidates nominated for the BCCI’s main examinations held recently in Ahmedabad. The 34-year-old finished 17th out of 141 aspirants, while the other three DDCA candidates placed 84th, 85th, and 129th. Tehlan, who was part of the Indian XI that lost to Pakistan in the under-19 World Cup final in 2006, scored 74.5 out of 100—just half a mark short of qualification.

Perseverance pays off for Rautela

Rautela, who traces his roots to Uttarakhand, has been rewarded for his perseverance and determination. He first appeared for the umpires’ exams in 2015 and was shortlisted among the 25 candidates for a BCCI-conducted seminar. But he had to miss some sessions as he was taking his second-year MBA papers.

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The BCCI does not hold the exams annually, and Rautela had to wait 10 years for another chance. Speaking to Patriot, he said he comes from a humble background and that his father still drives an auto, especially in emergencies in their neighbourhood. “I was always passionate about umpiring,” he said, adding that he turned down several job offers that paid more than umpiring because it kept him motivated.

Now a senior analyst at BMTG Advisors, Rautela credited several people for his success. He said Vikas Dalal helped him with calculations and theory, Amit Bansal guided him on practical aspects and body posture, and Dharmesh Bhardwaj taught him the basics of all laws. He also thanked Gayathri Venugopalan, Abhiroop Sood, and RD Singh for giving him opportunities to officiate in quality matches in Delhi.

Tehlan left baffled

Tehlan is still trying to come to terms with his narrow miss. Despite scoring full marks in the Code of Conduct segment, the 38-year-old fell short by half a mark. “I’m still trying to decipher where I fell short,” he said, adding that he is uncertain about his future as a match referee because there is no clarity on when the BCCI will hold the exams again.

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Sources said the DDCA sent only two candidates for the referees’ examinations, even though the BCCI had permitted three candidates per state association. This, they said, is yet another example of the association’s inexplicable functioning.