The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) has once again found itself embroiled in controversy, this time over a questionable selection ahead of the BCCI’s Vinoo Mankad Trophy. Reports have emerged that an opening batter with no wicketkeeping experience was named as the second wicketkeeper in the Delhi U19 squad allegedly due to pressure from a senior DDCA official.
The 23-member squad announced on October 3 included Abhiraj Gagan Singh as the primary wicketkeeper. However, the player listed as the second keeper at position 22 in the squad was reportedly someone who “does not keep wickets at all,” according to a report in Dainik Jagran. This sparked an immediate backlash within the association, with several officials raising concerns directly with DDCA President Rohan Jaitley, alleging the selection was influenced by favouritism rather than merit.
Upon discovering the irregularity, Jaitley took swift action, ordering the removal of the player and approving the inclusion of a genuine wicketkeeper. The revised squad has since departed for Ranchi, where the Vinoo Mankad Trophy is set to begin on October 9.
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The sources suggest the selectors themselves were not responsible for the irregularity. Instead, a senior DDCA official is believed to have pressured the committee to include the non-wicketkeeping batter as a backup keeper. The controversy intensified with two further changes to the squad one player was dropped over discrepancies in submitted documents, and another was left out for undisclosed reasons.
The incident has also reignited longstanding concerns about governance and transparency within the DDCA. Last year, the association’s Lokpal (Ombudsman) issued a clear directive banning DDCA officials from attending selection committee meetings to ensure impartiality. Despite this, Secretary Ashok Sharma and Joint Secretary Amit Grover reportedly attended the recent U19 selection meeting chaired by Ashu Dani, in direct violation of the Lokpal’s interim order dated September 22, 2023.
DDCA member Suresh Kumar Sharma had even written to President Jaitley on September 28, reminding him of the Lokpal’s instructions. Yet, the repetition of such breaches raises serious questions about whether internal politics and conflicts of interest continue to influence selections in Delhi cricket.
While Rohan Jaitley’s intervention may have averted a flawed selection this time, the episode underscores persistent issues within DDCA’s administration, including governance lapses and lack of transparency. With the Delhi U19 team now in Ranchi for the national tournament, attention will shift to their performance but the controversy has once again cast a shadow over the credibility of the association.
