Cricket

Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign has hit a roadblock, with the team languishing in fourth place in Group D after a dismal nine-wicket defeat to Chandigarh. In an attempt to turn their fortunes around, the team has sacked Himmat Singh as captain and elevated Ayush Badoni to the leadership role.Badoni's first challenge will be to address the team's batting woes. In the loss to Chandigarh, only Yash Dhull showed any resistance, while Badoni himself fell to a rash shot after a promising start. The middle order, led by Himmat, has also been underwhelming, with the 28-year-old averaging just 30.33 in four innings.The spin department has also been a concern. Off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen and left-arm spinner Shivank Vashisth were ineffective on a helpful surface, lacking accuracy and consistency. Both have been dropped for the upcoming match against Jharkhand.Jharkhand, meanwhile, is two spots below Delhi in sixth place with just seven points. Stand-in skipper Virat Singh will be looking to lead his team to victory and improve their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages. Singh is the team's leading run-getter this season with 254 runs at an average of 42.33.The match between Delhi and Jharkhand will be a crucial test for both teams. Delhi needs a win to revive their campaign, while Jharkhand will be eager to close the gap on the top four. The match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from Wednesday.

Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign has hit a roadblock, prompting a leadership change. Himmat Singh, who captained the team in the first four rounds, has been replaced by Ayush Badoni. The decision comes after a crushing defeat to Chandigarh, which exposed Delhi's batting frailties.Badoni, who scored 49 and 1 in the two innings against Chandigarh, will lead the team in their next match against Jharkhand. The 23-year-old has been in impressive form this season, scoring two centuries and a fifty in four matches.Yash Dhull, who was the Delhi skipper during the 2022-23 Ranji season, has been named as the vice-captain. Dhull, who is also a talented batsman, has scored two centuries and a fifty this season.The changes in the Delhi squad reflect the team's struggles in the Ranji Trophy. Delhi is currently fourth in Group D, with just one win from four matches. The team's batting has been particularly disappointing, with only Dhull and Badoni showing any consistency.The selectors have made several changes to the squad in an attempt to address the team's weaknesses. Hrithik Shokeen, Shivank Vashisth, and Kshitiz Sharma have been dropped, while Simarjeet Singh, Mayank Gusain, and Shivam Sharma have been included.Simarjeet, a pacer, returns to the squad after missing the last three matches with injury. Gusain is a batting all-rounder who has been doing well in the U-23 set-up. Shivam is a left-arm spinner who has been in good form for Delhi's second XI.Delhi will be hoping that the changes in the squad will help them turn their season around. The team has a tough task ahead of them, but they will be confident of making a strong comeback under the leadership of Badoni.

Delhi's batting woes continued on day two of their Ranji Trophy clash against Assam at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Despite several players getting starts, the home side found themselves trailing by 116 runs with four wickets remaining in their first innings.Skipper Himmat Singh top-scored with 55, while Yash Dhull and Sanat Sangwan contributed 47 each. However, none of them could convert their starts into substantial scores, unlike Sumit Ghadigaonkar, who had scored 162 for Assam.Delhi's innings began disastrously with Gagan Vats dismissed for a duck off the very first ball. Dhull and Sangwan steadied the ship with a 66-run partnership for the second wicket, but Dhull's dismissal just after lunch proved costly.Himmat and Sangwan looked assured at the crease, but their efforts were not enough to lift Delhi out of trouble. The frustration was evident as the home side failed to capitalize on their opportunities.Earlier in the day, Delhi's bowlers had done their job by taking the remaining four Assam wickets fairly quickly. Himmat's catch to dismiss Mukhtar Hussain was a highlight, as he ran back a few meters while following the trajectory of the ball and completed an excellent catch.Harshit Rana claimed his five-for with a full ball to Mrinmoy Dutta that clattered the stumps, wrapping up Assam's innings at 330.Delhi now faces an uphill battle to even claim first-innings honors when play resumes on Monday. Their batting has been underwhelming throughout the season, and they will need to find a way to turn things around if they want to avoid defeat.