NEW DELHI: Delhi cricket suffered a massive setback on Tuesday as a spirited Jammu & Kashmir side, led by opener Qamran Iqbal’s brilliant century, thrashed them by seven wickets. This marked J&K’s first-ever victory over Delhi in the history of the Ranji Trophy.

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After four games, Delhi, coached by Sarandeep Singh, sit sixth among eight teams in Group D with seven points. With only four points from three home matches, their chances of reaching the knockouts appear bleak.

Questionable selections, poor strategies, lack of street-smart captaincy, and internal factionalism within the state unit have all contributed to the team’s decline.

Since 1960, Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir have faced each other 43 times, with Delhi winning 37 of those encounters.

Iqbal Dominates as J&K Chase Target Smoothly

Chasing 179 for victory, J&K needed 124 runs on the final day with Iqbal unbeaten on 133 off 147 balls, accompanied by nightwatchman Vanshaj Sharma (8 off 55 balls). What appeared to be a tricky pitch offered little trouble as Iqbal used his long levers and powerful stride to counter any turn.

Delhi spinners Mannan Bhardwaj and Hrithik Shokeen failed to attack consistently, bowling too fast and failing to extract any purchase from the track. Towards the end, Iqbal unleashed one-handed slog sweeps and lofted boundaries.

Veteran Paras Dogra, in his 22nd first-class season, also scored a first-innings hundred, maintaining his reputation as one of the leading run-getters in Ranji Trophy history this season, second only to Wasim Jaffer.

Delhi’s Struggles Deepen Amid Selection Issues

Retaining Sarandeep Singh as head coach despite last season’s poor performance has not brought stability to Delhi cricket. Skipper Ayush Badoni has shown glimpses of form with half-centuries, but the team lacks consistency.

Arpit Rana, a top scorer in DPL, struggled against quality seam bowling, while Priyansh Arya, a promising opening batter, was benched in the first two matches and later played out of position at No.4.

Even with talented keepers Tejasvi Dahiya and Pranav Raghuvanshi on the bench, Anuj Rawat, who averages under 30 across eight seasons, continued to be selected. Following this historic defeat, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley is expected to take strict measures to address the team’s ongoing issues.

(With PTI Inputs)