Nitish Rana and Dhruv Shorey seek NOCs from DDCA to switch domestic sides - Reports
The crisis in Delhi cricket continues as two of their most talented batters Nitish Rana and Dhruv Shorey are looking to switch domestic teams. The pair have even requested the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) that facilitates the move ahead of the upcoming domestic season.
Rana and Shorey have expressed their displeasure at the path their careers are taking due to Delhi's poor domestic record of late. There was intense turmoil behind the scenes not so long ago regarding the change in captaincy, team selections (even at the junior level), and a whole lot more.
Delhi finished sixth in the Elite B Group of the Ranji Trophy during the 2022-23 season. Rana was on and off across the campaign in terms of selection and eventually made himself unavailable for the team's contest against Hyderabad.
A source close to the developments told CricketNext:
“Nitish Rana was exploring options after the last season ended. He wasn’t happy with the way he was dropped midway through last season and was on the lookout. He returned for the game against Mumbai and then made himself unavailable for the game against Hyderabad."
Dhruv Shorey, who has represented the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, is also assessing his options after being unhappy over his opportunities in white-ball cricket with Delhi. The batter was recently seen in the Duleep Trophy, where he scored a hundred against the North East Zone.
“With regards to Dhruv, he was a red-ball asset for Delhi but wasn’t happy with opportunities in shorter formats. He still wants to play white ball cricket," the source added.
Much like Rana in red-ball cricket, Shorey has been in and out of the team when it comes to limited-overs contests like the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Rana and Shorey have been included in Delhi's squad for the upcoming Buchi Babu tournament
The pair have been included in Delhi's squad for the Buchi Babu tournament, organized by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). The tournament has been revived after a six-year hiatus and will feature 12 teams in the red-ball format (four-day).
Rana and Shorey are viewed as senior members and leadership figures within the team and their request for NOCs a day before the team is set to leave for Tamil Nadu is certainly not a good sign.
The tournament is scheduled to take place from August 15 to September 11. Delhi have been slotted in Group C with Mumbai and Jammu & Kashmir.