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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 7:24:18 pm

Domestic Cricket: The Road to Team India

India needs a clear selection policy that establishes consistent standards for newcomers and established stars alike. Indian cricket’s domestic circuit has often been described as the foundation on which the national team is built. Yet, there is a need to reinforce a fundamental principle: a place in Team India must be earned through performance, not protected by reputation. Domestic cricket must remain the most credible proving ground for aspiring players, established stars, dropped...

Domestic Cricket: The Road to Team India

India needs a clear selection policy that establishes consistent standards for newcomers and established stars alike. Indian cricket’s domestic circuit has often been described as the foundation on which the national team is built. Yet, there is a need to reinforce a fundamental principle: a place in Team India must be earned through performance, not protected by reputation. Domestic cricket must remain the most credible proving ground for aspiring players, established stars, dropped cricketers and those returning after a break. For an aspiring cricketer, scoring runs in the Ranji Trophy or taking wickets in the Duleep Trophy should carry considerable weight in the selection process. Talent may open the door, but sustained performance in competitive conditions should determine whether a player deserves to walk through it. Reputation and potential cannot become permanent substitutes for runs, wickets and match-winning contributions. The same principle must apply to established international players. India needs a transparent selection policy that clearly establishes when a player is expected to return to domestic cricket, what performance benchmarks will be considered and under what circumstances an exemption may be granted. Without such consistency, selection risks appearing subjective. Different standards could be applied to established stars and those waiting for their first international opportunity. When a Test cricketer is dropped for poor form, returning to domestic cricket should be the natural next step. A few net sessions cannot replicate the pressure of a four-day or five-day contest. A batter needs to spend hours at the crease and negotiate different bowling spells. The player must also convert starts into substantial scores. A bowler needs to demonstrate rhythm, control and stamina, as well as the ability to sustain pressure across long spells. Domestic cricket provides evidence of improvement rather than merely an assurance that a player has been working on his game. Selection should therefore be linked to demonstrated form and readiness, rather than an automatic recall based on past achievements. There is an equally strong case for regular Test players to represent their state teams whenever the international calendar permits. Those who are rested or have a break between two Test series should consider domestic matches an opportunity, not an inconvenience. Red-ball cricket demands a temperament different from that required in shorter formats. The ability to leave deliveries, bat through difficult sessions and negotiate reverse swing cannot be developed entirely in the nets. Players must also learn to maintain concentration over several hours. The selection policy must distinguish between a player who is rested for workload management and one who is dropped for poor performance. A rested player should follow an appropriate preparation and match-readiness plan, while a dropped player should have a clear route back through competitive cricket. Injury-related exemptions must be based on medical advice. International commitments should also be accommodated through sensible scheduling. Most importantly, exemptions should not become privileges reserved for marquee players. If a young cricketer must score consistently in domestic cricket to earn a place, an established international should not be assured selection merely because he has delivered in the past. Seniority deserves respect, but it cannot guarantee a place in the playing XI. The Board of Control for Cricket in India and the selectors should establish clear expectations for participation in domestic red-ball competitions. Workload management, injury rehabilitation and national duty should be recognised as legitimate grounds for exemption. Such a policy would improve accountability, strengthen the Ranji Trophy and give selectors a more reliable basis for assessing form. Domestic cricket also benefits from the participation of international players. It allows younger cricketers to test themselves against experienced opponents and learn the demands of elite competition. Ultimately, domestic cricket should be neither a punishment for failure nor a ceremonial obligation. It must be an integral part of a cricketer’s professional life. Team India selection must be a merit-based process, not a privilege earned through reputation. For newcomers, domestic cricket is the route to recognition; for dropped players, it is the path to redemption; and for established stars, it is an opportunity to demonstrate that they remain worthy of the national colours.

Are Hurried Preterm Delivery Reports Fake?

Writer: Ruddhi Phadke
Ruddhi Phadke
Jan 29, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Jan 30, 2025

Questions are being raised over claims of Indian women desperately getting C-section operations done to meet Trump’s Feb 20 deadline.

C-section

Days after several media reports in India claimed that Indians residing in US are hurriedly planning C-section operated preterm deliveries to meet Trump’s deadline of birthright citizenship cancellation order deadline, sources residing in US anonymously told The Perfect Voice that these reports are fake. Sources believe that the situation has been highly exaggerated by media. Some reports claimed that an increasing number of Indian couples are getting preterm delivery executed through C-section operation in the US, before the birthright citizenship deadline on February 20. Several experts have refuted the claims stating that the US has strict laws in the health sector and that the C-section operations are extremely expensive, and also, it's completely illegal to conduct such operations in the US. Speaking exclusively to The Perfect Voice, Mumbai based Visa consultant Karan Gupta pointed out, “The average cost for a C section in the US is around $35,000 (higher is some states) and most of the Indians working on H1B visas would not prefer to incur this additional cost. With this said, there would still be some people who would opt for C sections so get their child US citizenship. It is most certainly illegal to do so and doctors could lose their license and end up in prison if they perform such operations.”


A New York based practicing Obstetrician anonymously said, “It is very risky, both for the mother and a baby. Why will someone take such a big risk? Besides, why will we risk our medical licenses for their citizenships? The said claim seems to be fake and I am not aware of any such instance in which such operations are being done.”


Another expecting mother anonymously explained, “I would rather come back to India, than get a C-Section done for citizenship for our child. Pre-birth is risky both for the mother and the child. Additionally, we cannot afford the cost of a C-section operation.”


Rumours were also in the air that new parents flocked to the passport offices to get registration of passports done hurriedly before February 20. While isolated such incidents were reported in the US, Karan Gupta has refuted the claimed intensity of the situation. Gupta said, “This claim seems highly exaggerated because when a child is born in the US, they are given a birth certificate from the hospital. There is no need to apply for a passport for the child immediately. The birth certificate is definite proof of US citizenship.”


“The US. recognizes birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. A child born in the U.S. is automatically a U.S. citizen, regardless of their parents' citizenship or immigration status, provided they are not the children of foreign diplomats. The parents must obtain a birth certificate for the child from the hospital where the child was born. This document proves the place of birth and is the primary evidence of citizenship”, further explained Gupta.


To obtain a U.S. passport for the child the parents fill out DS-11 and submit the child’s birth certificate as proof of citizenship. The parents also provide their own identification documents.


Meanwhile experts believe that immigrants in the USA need not panic immediately because on Thursday, January 23, a federal judge blocked Donald Trump's administration from implementing the Republican president's executive order curtailing the right to automatic birthright citizenship in the United States, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional." The execution of the order will have to go through a series of legal hurdles. For now, immigrants don’t have to worry as the court will hear the matter. It could be several months or years before a final decision is reached. This has given hope to thousands of immigrants.

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