Delhi cricket’s revival plan: KP Bhaskar, Vijay Dahiya, Gursharan Singh and Sanjeev Sharma tasked with ending Ranji Trophy drought

Delhi cricket begins a fresh Ranji Trophy campaign with KP Bhaskar, Vijay Dahiya, Gursharan Singh and Sanjeev Sharma tasked with reviving its fortunes.

Updated : Sep 30, 2026 11:33 IST , New Delhi - 5 MINS READ

Delhi cricket’s new leadership quartet, Sanjeev Sharma, Gursharan Singh, KP Bhaskar, Vijay Dahiya, comes together ahead of the new Ranji Trophy season. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

Four stalwarts of Delhi cricket have come together to script a revival in this season of hope. The appointments of KP Bhaskar (Chief selector), Vijay Dahiya (Chief coach), Gursharan Singh (High Performance chief) and Sanjeev Sharma (bowling coach) are aimed at creating a winning culture for the team, which has languished in the bottom rung for some seasons now.

Delhi last won the Ranji Trophy in 2008 and the Vijay Hazare title in 2013, when Dahiya and Sanjeev were associated with the team.

“It’s a huge challenge,” said Dahiya as he chalked out the plans for the season with his colleagues. “The boys should understand the importance of playing for Delhi, which has a great past. In Delhi, talent is not a problem, and the onus is on the players to grab the opportunities. As far as I am concerned, you can’t achieve your goals unless you have the passion to play the game.”

Bhaskar, who made his First-Class debut in 1982, boasts a reputation as a coach. He has served the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a coach in various capacities and has been entrusted with identifying a winning combination. As the chief selector, Bhaskar would have to overcome various pressures to accommodate a few players, but he knows his job well.

“My forte is coaching, but I would give my best as a selector. I think consistency matters a lot, and I will aim to give the players ample opportunities. We need to consider every aspect of an individual before dismissing his claims. No talent should be left out of the side, and we (selectors and support staff) have to work in tandem. I have seen some awesome talent among the juniors, and we need to guide them,” Bhaskar observed.

For Gursharan, who first won the Ranji Trophy in 1982 (playing for Delhi) and again in 1993 (playing for Punjab), it is a chance to contribute to Delhi’s ambitions this season. “I have worked with the junior talent a lot and can help the selectors and support staff with my inputs when asked. It is important to focus on young talent, and Delhi has a huge pool to draw from. I know Delhi has struggled, but we must remember that other teams have improved immensely and the competition has become intense. The key area for improvement for Delhi would be fielding. The last few seasons Delhi fielders have dropped far too many catches,” Gursharan pointed out.

The four experienced campaigners agree that Delhi must pick different teams for different formats. “You can only excel if you have a good attack. Horses for courses is the key. I have seen that Delhi often struggles in the second session because it lacks the teeth to strike. We need fast bowlers who can make the old ball talk and a couple of spinners who can shine in all conditions. I want to see fast bowlers coming around the stumps and using the crease. A fast bowler must be able to produce yorker, back-of-length deliveries and short balls at will during the latter part of the day. I would love to listen to the bowlers and guide them. We don’t have much time left (first Ranji match is an away game against Bengal from October 11) to prepare,” Sanjeev noted.

Bhaskar, meanwhile, looked at the overall improvement in Indian cricket and said Delhi has to keep pace with the rest. “You can’t take teams like Saurashtra, Vidarbha, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and J&K for granted. In recent times, Delhi has not done well, losing to lesser-known opponents, and we have to arrest this trend. This season is very critical. As a selector, I know there can be differences of opinion, but we must support the support staff. Coaches and selectors have to be on the same page. Both need to give confidence to the players, and there should be more communication among them,” advised Bhaskar.

Dahiya then spelt out his process. “I am up for the job, and I emphasise that the dressing room must radiate positive vibes and players have to respect each other. I want them to perform for the team and not play for their survival. I will make every effort to understand each player. Earlier, the lower-order players in the team would aggregate 450 runs for the season. Today, the key batsmen make 450 and think it has been a decent season. That is the difference between then and now.”

The camp for the Delhi Ranji team starts at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium from Thursday. The quartet has a task at hand and a dream to relive the glory of the past.

Published on Sep 30, 2026

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