Delhi cricket’s shrinking footprint in Indian teams

The presence of Delhi cricketers in Indian teams has declined sharply in recent years. The five-match women’s T20 International series against Sri Lanka, which ended on December 30 in Thiruvananthapuram, did not feature a single Delhi player in the 15-member Indian squad. Even the 50-over women’s World Cup that India famously won in November had no representation from the Capital. Delhi leg-spinner Priya Mishra was named among the reserves but was never required to play.

Before the World Cup, India had hosted Australia for a three-match ODI series, and once again, no Delhi player was part of the national team, though Mishra was again included among the standby players.

The story is only marginally better in men’s cricket. A few days ago, the selectors picked a 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming home T20 International series against New Zealand and the men’s T20 World Cup scheduled for February–March. Only one Delhi cricketer, pacer Harshit Rana, made the cut in both squads.

Similarly, for the upcoming under-19 ODI tour of South Africa and the under-19 World Cup, to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia in January–February, just one Delhi player — pacer Udhav Mohan — featured in both Indian teams.

There has also been talk on social media that when New Zealand tours India for three ODIs in January, Virat Kohli, who now plays only the 50-over format, and Rishabh Pant could be rested for a few matches. However, this remains speculative, with the squad yet to be announced.

The descent

These are only some recent examples of the low phase Delhi cricket has found itself in over the past few years. During the 1970s and 1980s, at times, nearly half of India’s playing XIs comprised Delhi players. The wheel has since turned full circle, and today it is an uphill task for Delhi cricketers to break into Indian teams — men’s, women’s, or junior — even as other states have progressed by leaps and bounds. Barring Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Kohli and Pant in recent years, there has been little to write home about.

Former India all-rounder Madan Lal believes the decline is directly linked to Delhi’s prolonged barren run at the national level.

“If Delhi doesn’t have enough representation in the Indian teams, it is because Delhi hasn’t won anything, including the national titles, for years. You have to perform and grab the highlight [to come into contention for national selection],” 74-year-old Madan Lal, a former national selector and coach, told Patriot.

Major causes

Lal, who captained Delhi to Ranji Trophy titles in 1985-86 and 1988-89 and also served as the state team’s head coach, pointed to deeper structural issues.

“Certain players have been playing for probably 10-15 years, but haven’t done anything worthwhile. If they can’t win matches for Delhi, they should not be there. I can understand it’s tough in the first year, but from the second year onwards, they should start performing. For example, you can’t take 10 years to score your first century if you are a batsman,” said Lal, who switched to Delhi from Punjab in the 1972-73 season.

“There have been instances when players have left Delhi to play for other states, and have returned to represent Delhi again. On the other hand, there are players who are not leaving the team, and the selectors cannot make a decision; nobody has the guts to tell these players to leave. They are dead wood. There is a time for everything. So, when the time comes, you have to leave the place,” he said.

DDCA’s responsibilities

Veteran coach Sharwan Kumar squarely blamed the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) while citing ground realities within Delhi’s local cricket structure.

“The main reason for the Delhi teams failing in national tournaments year after year lies with the DDCA. The administration has virtually turned a blind eye; it clearly doesn’t want any player to go on and represent the country from Delhi. If someone still goes on to play for India on his/her own capabilities, good luck to them,” Kumar, whose students include Ishant Sharma and Harshit Rana besides women cricketers Priya Mishra and Nidhi Mahto, told Patriot.

“If that’s your thought process, how will your teams perform well in national tournaments? When you ask the coaches [about teams’ poor performances], they deflect the blame onto the administration, saying if they really want, the teams would perform better,” he said.

Inflated squads

As in previous seasons, the DDCA began preparations for the 2025-26 season only a few days before the campaign began.

Kumar said, “The DDCA is sending teams comprising upwards of 20 players for matches — at times, up to 25 players — while the Board of Control for Cricket in India rule restricts a maximum of 15 players per team.”

The BCCI allows only 15 players in the team dressing room for national tournaments, while additional players must stay at the hotel or watch the match from the general stands.

This practice, Kumar argued, stifles genuine talent by limiting meaningful opportunities, ultimately preventing players from staking a claim for national selection.

“If the selectors and coaches are not delivering the goods, then the DDCA administration should ask them why the teams are performing so poorly. For example, a Ranji Trophy selector went to America in the middle of the Ranji Trophy matches recently, and a Cricket Advisory Committee member also went overseas,” he claimed.

Lal echoed the sentiment. “You have to groom youngsters to win national titles. I don’t know what the coaches are doing. There is no accountability.”

Dearth of titles

In the previous season, Delhi won just one national title — the women’s under-23 T20 Trophy. While the team did well to reach the final this year, the title eluded them once again.

“Women’s cricket will take time to prosper. Slowly and steadily, women’s cricket is coming up. But, at the moment, people are more concerned with mainstream cricket, which is men’s cricket,” Lal said.

Mishra remains among the standout Delhi cricketers. The leg-spinner has already represented India in nine ODIs and is biding her time for a return to the national side. A few others, too, have promising careers ahead.