DDCA hopes to repeat the winning streak next year

Being the chairman of the selection committee,he stressed on how the right combination of players has come along for Delhi and said that so far the performances of this team has been the best bet for DDCA. Delhi’s went to the final after seven matches,in each of which they put up a mammoth total against other Northern states—rivals Punjab,Himachal Pradesh,Jammu and Kashmir,and Haryana —to enter the knock out stage.

“I really appreciate what the Delhi boys have been able to pull off. We were confident and proved it in our zonal stages,considering we forced teams on follow-on in every match,” said Luthra.

The main man for Delhi was youngster Prashant Bhandari who scored massively throughout the tournament producing 810 runs with 23 wickets in seven matches. Bhandari hit four centuries in his total of 810 with an average of more than hundred remaining unbeaten twice.

If Prashant rode on his dream run,medium pacer Abhishek Vats wasn’t far behind in the bowling department. He finished the tournament scalping 22 wickets while his partner Drona Chhabra took 13 in six matches. “All these boys are fantastic. Bhandari,Vats had been the mainstay but openers like Sufian Alam and Pratyush too have a bright future,” added Luthra.

While commending them for their performance,he said that the one team Delhi had been wary off was Uttar Pradesh,who had been a perennial thorn for them in previous editions but this time Delhi came up confident against them as well.

“We knew UP’s strength so we always had a plan ‘B’ against them. . They always play a balanced side which always makes it tough for the competition. But credit has to go to our players who had put a good total on board due to which we got hold on a first innings lead,and won by a comprehensive innings victory. And that match had given us an opportunity to realise the potential of our team,” said Luthra.

With BCCI planning to make amends with the age band in the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy,Luthra hopes that the same team can compete in the next edition. “Since we have players who will be shifting to a higher age level,I think there is a possibility that these players will be in the team for next year as well. If BCCI makes it as U-17,I believe a few changes in the spin department along with the same side will give us a good chance to win again,” signed off Luthra.