Ranji Trophy: Vijay Dahiya urges Delhi players to take responsibility

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As Delhi gear up for their Ranji Trophy opener against Bengal, head coach Vijay Dahiya has called on his players to take personal responsibility for the side’s growth, emphasising that individual promise must translate into consistent team success.

Despite producing standout individual performances in recent seasons, Delhi have found consistent team victories difficult. Dahiya believes heightened self-belief and pride in representing the state are essential to reviving their red-ball campaign.

“It’s an honour to come back and be part of this group, which excites me,” Dahiya told PTI upon beginning his third stint as head coach.

Having monitored domestic action as a broadcaster, Dahiya feels the squad must take full ownership instead of expecting others to spark a recovery.

“We do need a turnaround in red-ball cricket, and the players need to understand what the format requires,” he stated.

Though Delhi has produced legendary international leaders, Dahiya stressed that converting individual performances into collective wins remains the primary objective, with plans to establish a stable core group.

“It’s a team game played by individuals, and those individuals need to stand up and make it count,” he noted.

He singled out experienced fast bowler Navdeep Saini, noting his sharp form in practice sessions. Dahiya previously coached Delhi to titles across all three domestic competitions, though he credited those triumphs entirely to the squad.

“First of all, don’t take away my hard work by calling me a lucky charm. Just joking,” he quipped.

Dahiya excited to work with Rishabh Pant

Addressing potential star inclusions, Dahiya welcomed Rishabh Pant‘s potential availability.

“We’d love to have someone like Rishabh Pant in this team, especially in this format, where he can change the game in one session,” he remarked.

On newly appointed captain Ayush Badoni, Dahiya emphasised balancing leadership with primary batting duties.

“His immediate task is to captain Delhi well. Before being the captain, he is one of the team’s main batters, and he needs to perform accordingly,” Dahiya observed.

He praised young talents Sarthak Ranjan, Sanat Sangwan, and Ayush Doseja, while noting selection dilemmas among pacers Saini, Simarjeet Singh, Money Grewal, and Divij Mehra.

“My job is to stand behind the players, not ahead of them. Once the game starts, we follow their lead,” Dahiya concluded.

(With inputs from PTI)

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