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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.

When Leadership Meets Uncertainty

Writer: Sabyasachi Dutta
Sabyasachi Dutta
Mar 14
3 min read

As volatility deepens and AI reshapes the business landscape, leaders must learn to act decisively, even when clarity is in short supply.

In today’s fast-changing world, where business is increasingly shaped by digital systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI), leaders often face situations in which outcomes are uncertain, information is fragmented, and the path forward is unclear. Navigating such uncertain environments is among the most demanding challenges facing business leaders today. Decision-making becomes significantly more challenging when traditional metrics provide little guidance and leaders are still expected to deliver results.


In a world shaped by constant disruption and external forces beyond one’s control, navigating uncertainty has become increasingly difficult. Leading through ambiguity, therefore, demands a fundamentally different approach than managing in stable times. Leaders need to upskill in areas where they lack expertise and cultivate qualities such as prompt adaptability, powerful intuition, and a sharp vision.


Strategic Responses

Effective leaders understand that even in the best-case scenario, ambiguity cannot be fully eliminated – only managed thoughtfully. They therefore build an organisational culture that tolerates uncertainty. They, too, should hone their skills and develop specific competencies like the ability to communicate with confidence while acknowledging unknowns themselves and the humility to accept failure despite existing guardrails.


Accepting ambiguity, where choices are often unclear and definitive answers are unavailable, can at times lead to difficult and undesirable outcomes. Yet, such situations also promote resilience by remaining calm and encouraging teams to focus on what can be controlled. Accepting diverse views also fosters camaraderie, which can spur collaborative solutions while tackling unforeseen situations.


At the same time, prolonged ambiguity should not be allowed to persist for too long. It should be quickly dealt with and utilised as a catalyst for innovation, thereby ensuring organisational success in an ever-changing landscape.


Volatility in the business environment may test a leader's inherent strengths, emotional intelligence, and adaptability. If a leader finds themself in an unclear situation, they should take the initiative to welcome bold contrarian views. This can help remove blind spots that arise when decisions are made from the top levels of an organisational hierarchy.


When the business environment remains unclear, leaders face a paradox: they are expected to be the solution provider while themselves grappling with the unknowns. With no precedents offering guidance, naysayers may doubt their leader’s ability to wade through turmoil. This, in turn, may trigger such a stressed leader to make premature or erroneous decisions.


Leading through ambiguity may not be about erasing uncertainty completely, but mastering it, as best as one can. One may leverage the hovering ambiguity as an opportunity for innovation and transform potential burdens into unique advantages, thus delivering growth amid chaos.


Red Flags and Cautions

While navigating ambiguity, leaders must remain vigilant against some common pitfalls that could complicate and worsen the existing scenario. These shouldn't, by any means, lead to ambiguity management deteriorating into poor decision-making impacting the organisation.


At times, leaders overanalyse their situations amidst ambiguity, trying to seek certainty that simply may not exist, thus postponing decisions and losing critical response time. Consequently, this creates organisational stasis and permits competitors with better clarity to move fast.


Another noteworthy danger emerges when leaders disengage during uncertain periods and move into insular decision-making. Concealing reality and failing to inform the key stakeholders about the shifting conditions could have serious repercussions and breed anxiety in them.


Leaders with foggy vision may wrongly defend their initial decisions in some cases beyond rational justification, fearing that acknowledging updated information will signal their weakness. This rigidity prevents any swift recalibration that ambiguous environments demand.


Another common problem is the tendency of some leaders to continue allocating resources to favoured initiatives despite mounting uncertainty. This, in turn, could generate ire against such leaders, as it may drain precious capital that organisations could otherwise deploy elsewhere for rapid pivots.


Leading through ambiguity can be extremely exhausting. It demands that leaders display utmost composure while accepting course correction, if any, sans ego, remain steadfast at their professed targets, and continue to drive action despite uncertainty. Additionally, decision-making under ambiguous situations could be very taxing, which brings to sharp focus the difficulty of contemporary leadership. Sustained success may depend not on ignoring ambiguity but on building the organisational capability and leadership discipline needed to make sound decisions while remaining calm under pressure.


(The writer is a Country Director {India} in a British MNC. He primarily writes on emerging management and leadership topics. Views personal.)

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