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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.

“We suspect tinkering of 1-cr votes”

Quaid Najmi
Aug 17, 2025
3 min read

Mumbai: As the Congress Leader of Opposition In Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi embarked on a high-voltage 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) President Harshwardhan Sapkal made a stunning claim that in the 2024 Parliament and Assembly elections, a stupendous ‘one-crore votes’ may have been manipulated to edge out the state Opposition parties. Excerpts from an exclusive chat.

 

The Congress is tomtoming a lot about ‘Vote-Chori.’

It's not a mere slogan. For the last three months, we’ve done our own investigation - collecting inputs, deep diving into the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s data. We believe that nearly 78-lakh votes were manipulated during the November 20–23, 2024 state Assembly polls.

 

Seventy-eight lakh? That’s a massive number.

If you consider the voter additions and deletions or unusual local swells in the 6-month gap between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, we strongly suspect the  figure could touch One Crore votes. We aren’t just crunching numbers. There are other factors, patterns that make this issue extremely serious.

 

What remedial steps have you taken?

Already, 50 writ petitions are before the courts, plus we’ve filed over 100 complaints with election Returning Officers. We’ve kept the State Election Commission fully informed. But this is not stopping here.

 

The civic bodies' elections are due soon, what’s your preparation?

Watch, Scrutiny & Vigil! Our party activists will maintain a 24x7 hawk-eye on the EVM-VVPAT strongrooms from the moment polling ends, until counting day. No more scope for mischief. In the next three months, we shall hold Division level brainstorming sessions to finalise candidates, local alliances, electoral and political strategies.

 

You are regarded as a stickler for accountability. Is that deliberate?

Absolutely. Accountability is non-negotiable. If a person is given a responsibility by the party, then how you spend your day, what activities you’ve taken up and the outcome, must be clear both to top leaders and grassroots workers. This isn’t about PR stunts. Claims can’t remain in the air, they must be backed by solid ground work.

 

Does it percolate within the MPCC?

As directed by the party high command, the work of each PCC Member will be reviewed annually. If they fall short, harsh decisions will be taken. Simply put, ‘everyone is on a one-year probation’, including me! (laughs). I have given my Report Card, others at all levels are expected to follow suit.

 

‘Accountability with Responsibility’

A soft-spoken, no-nonsense person with a dash of humour, MPCC President Harshawardhan Sapkal, 57, is known for his blunt talk, massive public outreach and an aggressive stance against the Mahayuti government on law & order, farmers, social harmony, plus other major issues.

 

The 25th state party head in 65 years (1960 onwards), Sapkal came out with a half-yearly performance card – billed as unprecedented - after he took over in Feb. 2025, listing his activities and achievements, terming it as ‘Accountability’ with major ‘Responsibility’.

 

Though he says all his campaigns were equally significant, the ‘Sadhbhavna Padyatras’ for saving the Constitution, safeguarding Democracy, Communal Harmony, Social Unity and Peace, grabbed huge attention in multiple districts this year, somewhat unnerving the Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party-Shiv Sena alliance.

 

The Congress took out nearly four dozen ‘Jai Hind Tiranga’ rallies to salute the Armed Forces, candle-light processions focusing on irregularities in the 2024 Assembly polls, attacks on intellectuals and artists, several incidents of rape that raised questions on public safety vis-à-vis law & order, unchecked hate campaigns unleased by ruling party leaders targeting castes and religious communities.

 

Sapkal spearheaded agitations on stalled infrastructure projects, farmers’ distress, skyrocketing inflation, unemployment among youth, opposing the new Maharashtra Special Public Safety Bill, the compulsion of Hindi at the primary school level, attempts to polarize the society and other topics of mass concern.

 

Practically living in a suitcase, Sapkal hit the roads vigorously and toured 22 of the state’s 36 districts, engaging with party leaders-activists plus the common public, invigorating the Congress at the mass-level ahead of the civic polls.

 

“The Sadbhavna Padyatra was a campaign to safeguard Democracy and a historic initiative to curb corruption, communal politics and institutional collapse in Maharashtra. The MPCC will perform as the state’s ‘Watchdog’ to defend the people, from tense districts to urban flashpoints and reassure the masses that we are with them,” a determined Sapkal told ‘The Perfect Voice’.

 

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