NEW DELHI: Yash Dhull was on Monday relieved of his duties as the captain by Delhi, following his side’s shocking defeat to Puducherry in the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 match, a Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) official confirmed.
Delhi named senior player Himmat Singh as captain for the remainder of the Ranji Trophy season. Delhi’s decision to relieve their young skipper adds to the list of questionable selection judgments made by the former domestic powerhouses in previous years.
Delhi was defeated by Puducherry by nine wickets in an Elite Group D encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday. Captain Dhull, who guided India to the U19 World Cup in 2022, struggled to get started against the Puducherry fast bowlers in the capital’s seamer-friendly conditions. He scored 2 and 23 in the two innings as Delhi failed to reach 150 even once in the first-class match.
The 21-year-old batter has played 17 first-class matches for Delhi and scored 1185 runs at an average of 43.88. He was selected captain in 2022, which was viewed as a daring move. He’s struck four hundred, including an unbroken 200.
Talking about the match, Gourav Yadav emerged as the mastermind behind Delhi’s defeat in the Ranji Trophy opener. He had a career-best performance, taking seven wickets for 49 runs in the first innings and ending with a total of ten wickets. His stunning performance on the second day paved the way for Puducherry’s dominance.
Abin Mathew, another standout with the ball for Puducherry, added to Delhi’s woes with a five-wicket haul, including the important removal of Dhull. Yadav and Mathew scripted one of the most significant victories in Puducherry’s internal history, one that would be remembered for years to come.
Delhi will now take on Jammu and Kashmir in an away game from January 12. (ANI)