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DDCA to not retain Rajkumar Sharma as Delhi coach
Follow UsDelhi were knocked out in the group stages across different tournaments and were eliminated in the league phase of Ranji Trophy 2022
The Delhi & Districts Cricket Association will not be retaining the services of veteran coach Rajkumar Sharma after the senior state team's dismal show in the past two domestic seasons.
Rajkumar, a Dronacharya awardee, is best known for being Virat Kohli's childhood coach. After Delhi were handsomely beaten by Jharkhand and failed to qualify from their group, it was a foregone conclusion that Rajkumar will be sacked.
"The entire coaching structure of DDCA will be revamped and hence Rajkumar's contract next season won't be renewed," a senior DDCA official, who is privy to policy decisions, confirmed the development to PTI.
Under Rajkumar, Delhi were outplayed in the Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year, failing to reach the knockouts in both the meets.
This year, Delhi were knocked out of all the tournaments at the group league stage after losing some matches comprehensively. It is understood that the kind of playing XIs that Rajkumar picked throughout his stint has left a lot to be desired. Giving chances to non-performers and disinterested red-ball players also did not go down well with the top brass.
Questions are being asked as to why Lucknow Super Giants' Ayush Badoni, a very good red-ball player, was ignored and pacer Simarjeet Singh was not picked while a raw talent like Mayank Yadav not given even one chance.
Revamp planning
It is understood that DDCA president Rohan Jaitley is discussing with the relevant people to draw up a calendar to revive Delhi's red-ball cricket.
"We have appointed a committee comprising Madan Lal, Vinay Lamba and Sunil Valson, which will help in formulating a strategy going forward," Jaitley told PTI in an interaction.
In fact, Jaitley wants to start a 100-day programme with focus on days cricket and identification of talent at the U-16 level.
"It is high time we introspect why after Rishabh Pant's elevation to Indian team and Gautam Gambhir's retirement, we haven't groomed anyone in leadership role. It starts at U-16 and it's a long-term process," Jaitley said.