Media365
NEW DELHI: Delhi’s domestic season slipped further on Tuesday as the team lost to Tripura for the first time ever in domestic cricket, suffering a 12-run defeat in the Elite Group D match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Ahmedabad. The setback added to a growing list of results under scrutiny, coming soon after Delhi were beaten by Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy.Indrajit Debnath held his nerve and defended 20 runs off the last over as Tripura defeated a team filled with IPL players by 12 runs.
DDCA officials are expected to face questions about team selection and the choice of support staff, including the appointment of Sarandeep Singh. Delhi now need an unlikely sequence of results to qualify for the Ranji Trophy knock-outs, even if they win their remaining two matches.In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Delhi have lost two of their four games, putting them under pressure. Chasing 158, their batting unit struggled on a slow surface and finished at 145 for 8. Mani Shankar Murasingh’s seam bowling and Viki Saha’s off-spin kept Delhi from building any momentum.Murasingh, who has played domestic cricket for around a decade, dismissed Punjab Kings and India A batter Priyansh Arya early in the innings. Before that, he had scored 25 not out off 18 balls, hitting a six and a four in the final over bowled by Ayush Badoni. He later returned figures of 2 for 19 from four overs, including 14 dot balls.Murasingh, referred to by teammates as the “Ben Stokes of Tripura,” used slow off-cutters and pace-off variations effectively on a tacky pitch. His bowling troubled Delhi captain Nitish Rana, who scored 45 off 40 balls, along with Ayush Badoni (14 off 13) and Priyansh Arya (8 off 10).Viki Saha dismissed Rana by shortening the length, drawing him out of the crease. The ball turned enough for wicketkeeper Sentu Sarkar to complete the stumping.
