Delhi’s Ayush Doseja plays a shot during the first day of the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy cricket match between Delhi and Himachal Pradesh at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. (PTI photo) MUMBAI: Ayush Doseja is having a dream season. Playing in his first season in the Ranji Trophy, the 23-year-old Delhi batsman is the tournament’s top scorer so far with 790 runs from six matches at an average of 98.75. His record includes three centuries and five half-centuries, with a highest score of 209 against Hyderabad in Hyderabad.However, Delhi’s Ranji campaign took a different path. Without a win after six games, the team is out of contention for a place in the knockout stages. In an otherwise difficult season, Doseje’s score was the consistent positive for the side.
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On Wednesday morning, Doseja suddenly learned that he will be Delhi’s substitute for the final Ranji Trophy league match against Mumbai at the Mumbai Cricket Association ground in BKC, starting from Thursday.Apart from scoring plenty of good scores, the youngster seems to have enjoyed a rare opportunity to interact with modern-day cricket legend Virat Kohli when the former Indian captain was part of the Delhi dressing room during the Vijay Hazare Trophy recently. While he didn’t get a chance to bat with Kohli, Doseja got some crucial advice from the cricket superstar.“Virat sir has been my idol since childhood. I follow his diet and fitness regime a lot. I spoke to him a lot when I was with him during the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He used to say that ‘if your feet are on the ground and you can’t give your best, if you don’t give 200%, then there’s no point in playing.’ Whenever I take to the ground, I take the view that I have to play cricket with 200% effort. I didn’t play a match with him. I only got a chance to play after he left but he gave me a lot of tips,” Doseja told reporters at BKC.The young striker would have made his debut last season but for the ankle injury he suffered. “I sprained my ankle last year, before I was supposed to make my (first-class) debut. After that I had it in my head that I had to work on my injury. I spent two to three months preparing for the red ball. It went well and I’m very happy with the season,” he said. Doseja didn’t seem fazed by the sudden challenge of captaining Delhi, even against a heavyweight team like Mumbai. “I have played against Mumbai at under-23 level, but this is my first time playing against Mumbai at senior level. This is my first time playing as captain at senior level. It is a very good experience. I believe a lot in destiny. God has given me an opportunity and I will take it. It will be a very big experience for me. I will focus on everyone batting well and my positives. Tomorrow’s match is a good feeling to play against Mumbai such a big team.” he said.Delhi are out of contention for a knockout spot in this edition of the Ranji Trophy, but Doseja said that will not demotivate the side for the match against Mumbai. “We will take a no-lose approach from here because there is everything to gain. It is a big team and every Ranji match is a big opportunity. It is a live match and the whole of India will watch it. All our players are positive and will get a good experience,” he said.
