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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.

Energy Shock

Correspondent
Mar 4
2 min read

As the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran intensifies, the Strait of Hormuz - the narrow channel through which a fifth of globally traded oil passes - has become fraught after Tehran blocked the strait. For India, the consequences are already being felt in boardrooms, refineries and, potentially, household budgets.


India consumes roughly six million barrels of oil a day. Of that, between 2.5 and 2.7 million barrels - nearly half - normally transit Hormuz. Around 60 percent of its LNG imports and almost all its LPG shipments also pass through the same waters. Overall, the country imports about 89 percent of its oil and half its gas needs.


Earlier, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that India’s combined strategic petroleum reserves and commercial stocks could meet demand for up to 74 days in the event of global turbulence. While that cushion buys time, it does not eliminate risk. Every $1 increase in international crude prices adds roughly $1.4 billion to India’s annual import bill. Should the war drag on and prices climb by $10 or $20 per barrel, the arithmetic quickly becomes sobering. A wider current-account deficit would pressure the rupee. A weaker currency would make imports costlier still. Eventually, higher crude costs would filter through to petrol and diesel prices, raising transport costs, food prices and overall inflation.


Gas markets are no less exposed. India imports about half its gas requirements, much of it routed via Hormuz. Anticipating potential restrictions after Qatar temporarily halted LNG production, some Indian companies have already trimmed gas supplies to industries by 10 percent to 30 percent. For Indian consumers, the question is immediate: should they stock up? The instinct to hoard fuel or LPG cylinders is understandable but panic buying would strain local supply chains without altering national inventories.


For India, one obvious alternative supplier in a Gulf crisis is Russia. Discounted Russian crude had shielded India from earlier price spikes and Russian purchases could again mitigate the pressure of rising prices and stabilise supplies. But earlier this year, India and the United States concluded an interim tariff arrangement under which Washington waived a 25 percent ‘penalty’ tariff on Indian exports, linked in part to Delhi scaling back purchases of Russian crude and offsetting them with imports from America or Venezuela. A renewed pivot towards Moscow, even if driven by Middle Eastern instability, could reopen that bargain.


For Indian households, the tremors are already visible. Anticipating possible restrictions after Qatar temporarily halted LNG production, Indian companies have reportedly reduced gas supplies to certain industries by between 10 percent and 30 percent. In the end, the present war underscores a structural vulnerability. Rapid economic growth has locked India into heavy import dependence, much of it channelled through a single, narrow waterway. Diversifying suppliers, expanding storage, accelerating renewables and balancing relations among rival powers are now immediate necessities.

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