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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.

‘GCC landscape will undergo a fundamental shift’

Correspondent
Nov 10, 2025
4 min read

Piyush Kedia, the Co-Founder and CEO of InCommon, believes that Global Capacity Centres (GCC) have evolved rapidly from cost centers to delivery engines. In a conversation with ‘The Perfect Voice’ he predicts that India-based teams are owning a meaningful share of product, AI, and business outcomes in this next phase. Excerpts…

What are the biggest challenges companies face when setting up a Global Capacity Centre (GCC) in India, and how can they be mitigated?

One of the biggest challenges companies face when setting up a GCC in India isn’t finding talent, it’s bringing all the moving parts together. Most mid-market firms lack the internal infrastructure of a Fortune 500 company, which means they often juggle multiple vendors for entity setup, compliance, IT, payroll, and recruitment. This fragmentation slows down execution and makes costs unpredictable. Another major hurdle is leadership. Securing the right country head or site lead early on can make or break the setup. However, traditional hiring channels rarely reach leaders who have actually built and scaled centers before, the kind of hands-on experience that’s essential to establishing a strong foundation. Finally, culture and operating rhythm often get deprioritized in the early stages. Many firms treat their India GCC as an “execution arm” rather than a true extension of the business, only to realize later that speed and impact come from outcome ownership, not ticket-taking. The most successful GCCs today get the fundamentals, structure, leadership, and operating rhythm, right from day one.

 

How can mid-sized firms leverage GCCs to compete with larger enterprises?

Mid-sized firms don’t need to replicate the playbook of large enterprises, they can move differently. With a leaner footprint and flatter decision-making, they can stand up GCCs faster, embed product and data teams closer to the work, and iterate at a pace that bigger organisations, bound by long approval chains, often can’t match. This agility becomes a real competitive edge when the GCC is designed as a front-line product and innovation hub rather than a back-office support center. Moreover, India’s evolving state-level policies have made it even easier for such firms to scale. States like Karnataka and Maharashtra now offer single-window clearances and a host of incentives that significantly reduce both setup time and cost.


How will AI, automation, and hybrid work models shape the future of GCCs?

The next generation of GCCs won’t just adopt AI, they will be structured around it. Routine operational layers will shrink as intelligent and agentic workflows take over, allowing teams to move faster and make decisions closer to the ground. With AI accelerating feedback loops, iteration cycles will become tighter, and value delivery will happen in real time. Hybrid work models will remain, but they will evolve into smarter, more intentional structures, with core teams based in key hubs and distributed pods operating from elsewhere. Instead of tracking hours or activity, companies will measure actual shipped outcomes and business impact. The result is GCCs that are leaner, more technical, and built for speed, far ahead of the models that came before them.


What does the next phase of GCC maturity look like in India?

GCCs have evolved rapidly from cost centers to delivery engines, and now to outcome platforms. In this next phase, India-based teams aren’t just executing tasks; they’re owning a meaningful share of product, AI, and business outcomes. The shift is already underway. Leadership roles are being established in India much earlier in a company’s journey, and state governments are actively competing to attract GCCs, not only from Fortune 500s but increasingly from mid-market firms as well. With AI accelerating the need for agility and smarter structures, the next five years won’t be defined by scale alone, but by the depth of ownership and impact these centers deliver.


How does InCommon plan to deepen its presence across key Indian cities beyond traditional hubs like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune?

Tier-2 cities are emerging as attractive GCC destinations not just for their cost advantage, but because state policies are actively enabling growth. Karnataka’s ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative and Maharashtra’s new GCC policy are strong examples of this momentum. Our approach is to anchor expansion where policy, infrastructure, and talent already align, rather than forcing it. By combining flexible EoR models, strong local leadership, and referral-driven hiring, we’re able to build faster, more seamlessly, and with far less friction.


What trends do you foresee in GCC setup and operations over the next 3–5 years?

Over the next three to five years, the GCC landscape will undergo a fundamental shift. Mid-market growth will outpace enterprise expansion, with more small and mid-sized companies setting up GCCs than ever before. State competition will heat up, with more states introducing GCC-friendly policies and incentive programs similar to Karnataka’s Beyond Bengaluru initiative and Maharashtra’s GCC policy. AI-first organizational design will become the new default, with centers built around automation, telemetry, and compact, high-ownership teams. Leadership gravity will continue to shift, as experienced site heads and domain experts play a bigger role in shaping how GCCs are structured and scaled. Most importantly, speed will emerge as the ultimate differentiator. Success will no longer be measured by headcount but by how quickly companies can move from idea to live product and deliver real outcomes.


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