Ishant replaces Gambhir as Delhi Ranji skipper
NEW DELHI: The senior selection committee of the DDCA appointed India fast bowler Ishant Sharma as the captain of the Delhi Ranji team for the 2017-18 season. The decision to appoint Ishant as skipper was taken after Gautam Gambhir stepped down officially from the post by informing Justice (retd) Vikramjit Sen over email stating his disinterest.
Last year, Delhi failed to qualify and Gambhir’s captaincy was given to Rishabh Pant. In a move to improve things, Ishant, whose limited overs career for India could well be said to be over, has been considered for captaincy. With Pant very much in the fray for India’s shorter formats, Ishant was the automatic choice.
“We wanted to get a broader perspective. The number of matches he (Ishant) has played, we want him to be more involved. Gambhir, we want him to concentrate on his batting. Just change things around because nothing is working for Delhi. We didn’t qualify because we didn’t pick 20 wickets. Somebody like Ishant brings a lot to the table and we want him to be more involved as skipper. Rishabh might be involved with T20 and ODIS and he might not be available for the season,” said Atul Wassan, DDCA selector.
The India seamer, who has played 77 Tests, has rarely led a side. But Wassan said his experience of over 10 years in the Indian dressing room will come in handy for Delhi. “Captaincy isn’t rocket science. You have Gautam on the ground, coaches, and we have a bowling coach this year too,” said Wassan.
NORTHEAST STATES, BIHAR GET
BOOST
MUMBAI: THEBCCI on Friday included NorthEast states and Bihar in the domestic fixtures, except Ranji Trophy, for the 2017-18 season. A circular was sent to all state association to take note of the revised schedule of tournaments. The Committee of Administrators (COA) had promised to look into the grievances of Northeast and Bihar after they were excluded from the domestic schedule.
The BCCI has formed a special zone ‘Northeast and Bihar’. This is a big step towards recognising cricketers from Northeast as Bcci-affiliated states like Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal, Manipur and Nagaland will get a chance to form individual teams for BCCI competitions.
“We thank the COA for making our participation possible in BCCI tournaments,” Nabha Bhattacharya, convenor, NorthEast Cricket Development Committee, told Hindustan Times.
The COA had assured NorthEast states and Bihar of representation in the age-group and women’s tournaments. Their Ranji Trophy participation will depend on when the BCCI adopts the one-state-one-vote policy.