Delhi cricket team
Delhi cricket team: competitions
Delhi cricket team: First-Class Cricket Competitions
Logo Tournament Wins Years
Ranji Trophy
7
1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1985-86, 1988-89, 1991-92, 2007-08
Irani Cup
2
1980-81, 1989-90
Delhi cricket team: Limited Overs Cricket Competitions
Logo Tournament Wins Years
Vijay Hazare Trophy
1
2012-13
Delhi cricket team: Twenty20 Cricket Competitions
Logo Tournament Wins Years
Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
1
2017-18
Delhi cricket team: Current Squad
Ishant Sharma
Bowler
Delhi cricket team: Indian domestic cricket team
The Delhi Cricket Club was formed in 1934 in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The city itself is the 2nd largest after Mumbai. The population of Delhi is 9.5 million people. The team is a 7-time winner of the Ranji Trophy first-class championship, 2-time winners of the Irani Cup one-day tournament, the winner of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the champion in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Home matches are played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with a capacity of 55,000 people. We introduce you to the history of one of the best national cricket clubs.
Delhi cricket team – the beginning of history
Cricket is and will be the most visited and most popular sport in India. Hundreds of millions of people play it. Thanks to travelers from England, cricket in the country was born in the XVIII century.
As for Delhi, the local body was formed here in 1883. Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) is the governing body for cricket, which is responsible for this sport in the district. Since 1928, the Association has become one of the founders of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Now it is a full member of it. DDCA is responsible for all inter-district competitions of all ages and genders (U14, U16, U19, U23 and Women’s U19).
In 1934, the local professional club Delhi was formed. In the same year, a new, unknown first-class championship called the Ranji Trophy was launched in India. Delhi cricket team became one of the 15 clubs who were able to participate in the debut draw. Unfortunately, the team from Delhi lost already in the 1st round to the United Provinces cricket team (now called Uttar Pradesh).
The club did not show great results until the 1970s. The first serious success came in the 1977 season. Then the team took 2nd place, losing in the final to Bombay cricket team (now Mumbai cricket team). By the way, it was the 18th title for Mumbai in 19 years!
Delhi cricket team – a time of great victories
Delhi cricket team took the long-awaited championship title in 1979. The team easily passed all the tournament rounds and was stronger than the Karnataka cricket team in the decisive match. Delhi repeated the success in the following season. The club took revenge for the 1977 final against the Bombay team.
In India, since 1960, they began to hold a tournament under the name Irani Cup. This is a one-game championship, between the last winner of the Ranji Trophy and the Indian national team of the best players at the end of the season (except the winner’s members). So, the Delhi cricket team played at this championship in 1981. Fortunately, the victory was for Delhi.
In general, the 1980s are considered the most successful for the local Indian team. Let’s put all the significant years in one list:
- Winning the Ranji Trophy (we have already written about it);
- Victory in the Irani Cup (mentioned earlier);
- 2nd place in Ranji Trophy (lost to Bombay cricket team);
- Ranji Trophy win (win over Karnataka cricket team);
- 2nd place in Ranji Trophy (lost to Bombay cricket team);
- 2nd place in Ranji Trophy (lost to Bombay cricket team);
- Ranji Trophy win (win over Haryana cricket team);
- 2nd place in Ranji Trophy (lost to Hyderabad cricket team);
- Ranji Trophy win (win over Bengal cricket team);
- 2nd place in Ranji Trophy (lost to Bengal cricket team);
- Victory in the Irani Cup.
The success of the cricket club did not end there. In 1992, the team won its 6th championship title in the Ranji Trophy first-class competition. The team defeated a team from the state of Tamil Nadu in the decisive match. In addition, in 1997, there was another final match with the participation of the Delhi cricket team, which ended not in favor of the players from Delhi. They lost the final to Mumbai. The team took the last title in 2008. Then it turned out to be better than Uttar Pradesh cricket club (remember, it was to them that they lost their debut match in the 1934 championship).
In addition to the first-class championship, since 1993, the team has been playing at the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament. Here the club was able to perform in 3 finals, one of which turned out to be a championship:
- In 2013, the Delhi cricket team won the Assam cricket team;
- In 2016, the players lost to the Gujarat cricket team;
- In 2019, the team lost to the Mumbai cricket team.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (formed in 2000) is the 3rd national cricket championship in which the Delhi cricket team participates. The format of the competition is called Twenty20. The match consists of 2 innings, where 20 overs are played in each. At this popular tournament, the team reached the final once, in 2018. Then the club won the Rajasthan cricket team with a score of 153/6-112.
