Former India off-spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh has been confirmed to continue his tenure as the head coach of the Delhi senior men`s cricket team for the upcoming domestic season. Singh, who represented India in three Tests and five One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 2000 and 2003, had his appointment reaffirmed by the DDCA`s three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). He will receive assistance from Kuldeep Rawat, V. Aravind, and Kshitiz Sharma, with Kshitiz stepping in as a new addition, replacing Bantu Singh.
The three-member senior men`s selection panel will see K.P. Bhaskar retaining his position, serving alongside Yashpal Sharma and Manu Nayar. Reviewing the previous season`s outcomes, the Delhi senior men`s team faced difficulties, as they failed to progress beyond the group stages of both the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, they demonstrated resilience by reaching the quarterfinals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
In a significant development for women`s cricket within the state, former India international Reema Malhotra has been appointed as the chairperson of the women`s selection committee. Malhotra, who previously served as a mentor for the state women`s team, brings extensive experience, having played one Test, 41 ODIs, and 22 T20Is for India from 2003 to 2013. Her assumption of this pivotal leadership role hints at the possibility that her predecessor, former India all-rounder Amita Sharma, may be considered for a position on the national women`s selection committee.
The Delhi senior women`s team will also see a new face leading their coaching staff, with Deepti Dhyani taking over as the head coach. Dhyani is notably recognized for her coaching prowess, having mentored India women`s opener Pratika Rawal. Her support staff will include Gautam Vadhera as the batting coach, Ashish Malhotra overseeing bowling, and Mandeep Kaur managing fielding responsibilities.
Devender Sharma, renowned as the childhood coach for prominent cricketers like Rishabh Pant and Mayank Yadav from the esteemed Sonnet Club, will continue his involvement as a member of the junior women`s selection committee. He will serve alongside chairperson Tilak Raj Sharma and Sushma Chaudhary. The Delhi women`s team showcased commendable performance in the last domestic season, successfully reaching the knockout stages in three different competitions and ultimately securing a victory in the U23 T20 Trophy.
Further strategic appointments within the High Performance Group include Bantu Singh and Gursharan Singh, who have been designated as chief batting coaches for the women`s and men`s teams, respectively. They will be supported in their roles by Kailash Rawat and Sumit Dogra. An interesting observation is the absence of any mention regarding the mentors for Delhi state cricket teams for the 2025/26 season, a role that was specifically introduced last year.
