Doseja: Style of play, consistency key for India call-up

Ayush Doseja has been included on the list of ‘targeted players’ by the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Ayush Doseja’s debut campaign yielded a prolific 949 runs in the Ranji Trophy. A surge in expectations comes with the territory, but he had a rather subdued start to the ongoing 2026-27 season for Delhi. The 24-year-old’s scores in the first three games read 45, 19, 29 and 21.

It was necessary then for the southpaw to offer a reminder that his first season was no flash in the pan. He took steps towards doing so against Services on Tuesday, contributing 78 to Delhi’s total of 299 for six.

Doseja had been run out on 29 against Gujarat and could do little about his dismissal against Jharkhand after Jatin Pandey ran back from cover point to complete a stunning catch. On this occasion, he aimed to cut out the errors and brought up his first half-century of this Ranji edition.

“I didn’t want to get out by making a mistake. If the bowler got me out with a good delivery, it was okay. I was looking to dominate a bit in the earlier games. Today, I wanted to play the way I do,” he told reporters after play.

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Amid the heated competition for middle-order spots, Doseja knows there is plenty of work ahead even to make the India-A team. The youngster strives to score a lot of runs at a brisk pace to fulfil his ambition of representing the country.

“The style of batting matters a lot. Consistency is also important,” he observed. “A lot of domestic batters are around for 15-20 years without playing for India. Some play for India after 2-3 years. Dominating consistently is important. I am looking to head in that direction.”

Doseja’s inclusion in the list of ‘targeted players’ by the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru suggests he is on the right track. After his breakthrough performance last season, he spent a total of three months at the sprawling facility in the Garden City and honed his batting against the red ball under the guidance of Wasim Jaffer and Hrishikesh Kanitkar.

“Jaffer and Kanitkar were domestic stalwarts. They told me a lot of things tactically,” revealed Doseja. “They also told me to not focus on the outside noise. They said that I had come in after doing so well for Delhi and reassured me that the runs will keep coming.”