Delhi begin their new cricket season with distinct disadvantages

Delhi men’s and women’s cricket teams, which have had an underwhelming last few domestic seasons have already started the 2026-27 season with a few disadvantages. Since there is a plan to install a new drainage system at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi’s home matches will be played at other grounds in the city. The move will take away the crucial ‘home advantage’ for players, as they know the venue inside out.

On team selection, the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) appears to have started on the wrong foot, at least in the senior women’s category. The DDCA announced women’s trials, and 324 players registered in no time.

The decision made the selectors’ task harder, leading to disarray at the trial site, the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. A total of 105 players were shortlisted on the first day of the two-day trials. The next day, the list was pruned to 59. The players were then divided into four teams for trial matches from which the final squad was to be picked. Similarly, the final 16-member under-19 women’s team was to be selected from a shortlist of 115 and the men’s under-23 team from a shortlist of 102.

Ranji Trophy scenario

In the Ranji Trophy, the men’s senior national championship, Delhi will be under pressure to progress beyond the first round as the team has not had a great run in the last few seasons. Last season, Ayush Badoni’s team failed to register a single win and crashed out at the league stage. It was the second time in five years that Delhi failed to win a game. It was also the seventh straight season Delhi failed to qualify for the knockout round.

Delhi’s last Ranji Trophy triumph was registered 18 years ago, in 2007-08. It has been eight years since they reached the final, in 2017–18, when they lost to Vidarbha. That was also their most recent quarterfinal appearance.

Critics claim selection issues have prevented Delhi players from settling in and focusing fully on performing at their best for several years. In the 2023-24 season, the DDCA picked 26 players; the next season, 27; and in 2025-26, 25.

On the other hand, Jammu and Kashmir, considered minnows in the domestic circuit, shocked everyone by winning the Ranji Trophy for the first ever time – with just 18 players.

Of the 25 players the DDCA fielded last season, seven were given just one match each. The DDCA has, as usual, not said how many matches the 16-member squad, to be led again by Ayush Badoni, will play.

Team composition

Of the 25 players who played last year, 12 did not find a place for the season opener against Bengal in Kalyani on October 11 at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground. However, based on precedent, they might still have a chance.

Among those dropped is Arpit Rana, who scored 377 runs in five Ranji Trophy matches. He has, however, been shortlisted for the 164-member under-23 camp.

Others include T20 specialist Priyansh Arya, who was picked in the Ranji Trophy last season based on his excellent performance in the 2025 Delhi Premier League (DPL). In two Ranji matches, he scored 131.

Dhruv Kaushik is among the seven players who played just one match last year. He is, however, the lone such player who has been retained. Interestingly, he has played one match each in the last two seasons.

Hard-hitting batsman Sarthak Ranjan, the top scorer in the 2026 DPL with 493 runs, has made a comeback to the Ranji squad after eight years, based on his DPL performance. He last played a first-class match in 2018-19, when he managed 28 runs in two matches.

Another player who has broken into the Ranji squad on the basis of his DPL performance is Tejasvi Dahiya, who led South Delhi Superstarz to the 2026 crown while scoring 291 at a fabulous strike rate of 180.74. Dev Lakra, who was also in fine form in the DPL, where he scored 323 at a strike rate of 160.69, is a new face in the Ranji squad.

The selectors have also picked three wicketkeepers in the 16-member squad – a baffling decision. While Anuj Rawat looks the preferred choice, Pranav Rajvanshi is the back-up stumper. Dahiya is also a wicketkeeper, but he could get a look in only in an emergency.

Prolific batsmen

Prolific batsmen Ayush Doseja and Sanat Sangwan left a lasting impression in the last season. Left-handed Doseja missed being the overall top scorer in the Ranji Trophy by a solitary run. He amassed 949 runs in seven matches before Delhi crashed out, and Karnataka’s left-hander Ravichandran Smaran got just one run more as his team played more matches than Delhi. “After all, it is all destiny, and whatever is written in it will happen. I am very happy with my performance,” Doseja told Patriot.

Doseja and Sangwan’s Ranji performances earned them spots in the Rest of India squad that played defending Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir in the Irani Trophy match in Srinagar recently. While Doseja wasn’t picked in the playing XI, opening batsman Sangwan, who scored 828 runs in seven Ranji matches, couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity.

On the basis of their breakout seasons, Doseja and Sangwan were also picked in the North Zone team for the Duleep Trophy. They also had good DPL 2026 outings.

“I am satisfied with my DPL performance. Whatever batting position I got to bat at, I capitalised on it fully, so I am happy. In the 2025 DPL, although I scored good runs, I had one regret: my strike rate was around 130 [300 runs at 136.98]. In this year’s DPL, my strike rate was around 160 [301 at 161.82]. This improvement in strike rate made me happy,” said Doseja.

“It was the result of my off-season preparation, before the DPL [July 31-August 30]. I was preparing with the red ball, but for one-and-a-half months before the DPL, I practised only with the white ball,” said the 24-year-old batter.

Looking ahead

Doseja said that he explored a lot of things last season. “Players from different states had gathered for the Duleep Trophy. I picked their brains and got to know their mindset. I also explored different types of pitches that I encountered in the tournament,” he said.

And now, Doseja is looking ahead to his third Ranji Trophy season with optimism.

“To score runs, I will have to keep myself focused and apply my mind because every day is a new day and you have to make an effort accordingly. Overall, I am quite positive about the upcoming season, also because my name was mentioned among the top four on the sheet announcing Delhi’s Ranji Trophy squad,” he said.

He added: “Last season, my name was mentioned at 18th place in the squad of 25, so I was not so sure about my place in the playing XI. But this time the situation is different. It is my privilege to have my name mentioned at the top of the Delhi team sheet. I am looking forward to the new season.”

Doseja began his first-class career with a bang, hammering a double century in his very first innings in the Ranji Trophy.

Delhi’s disadvantage

Delhi will play four of its seven Group C Ranji Trophy matches away from the city while the three ‘home’ matches will be played at the Air Force Ground in Palam, as renovation is to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Doseja sees the brighter side in this as he has been performing better away from home. Interestingly, all four of his first-class centuries have come in away matches, though he has scored two centuries at home in the under-23 tournament.

Palam, which comprises two grounds near the airport, is a big advantage for pacers as the ball swings more in the large open fields. “I have played DDCA League matches and a few others at Palam, but none of the BCCI-organised tournaments. Fast bowlers will surely come into play at Palam. Generally, red ball cricket is largely between fast bowlers and batsmen, unless someone prepares a turner; then the spinners come into the picture,” said Doseja.

Ranji Trophy venues

Delhi open their Ranji Trophy campaign against host Bengal in Kalyani from October 11, and will play their second match against Gujarat at Palam. Their third game is against Jharkhand in Ranchi, and the next one is against the Services at Palam. Delhi’s fifth match is also an away game, against Orissa in Cuttack, while their penultimate tie is against host Kerala in Murukkumpuzha. Delhi play their last league encounter against Maharashtra at Palam.

Doseja says he has never played in Kalyani and has heard the venue favours fast bowlers. He, however, takes solace from the fact that the pitches are prepared well these days. “The pitch curators are neutral, so the hosts can’t make the pitches heavily in their favour,” he pointed out.

What is Doseja’s overall target for the upcoming season? “I want to be as consistent as possible, so there is no particular target for selection. My strength has always been consistency, and I would look to perform consistently for my team. Selection, as everyone says, is not in players’ hands,” he says.