Why Ayush Doseja Remains Crucial To Delhi Despite Slow Start This Season?

A season of 949 runs, four centuries – including a double hundred – and an average of 105.44 made it a memorable Ranji Trophy debut campaign for Ayush Doseja last year.

The left-handed batter emerged as one of Delhi's most dependable performers in the Ranji Trophy, finishing as the team's leading run-scorer and the second-highest run-getter in the tournament. But carrying that form into a new season has not been straightforward. The expectations were higher, and the runs were not coming at the same rate.

Doseja could manage just 114 runs in his first three matches and gone four innings without a half-century. For someone who had scored 949 runs in his maiden Ranji season, a relatively quiet start was bound to garner attention. However, it didn’t left him worried. The 24-year-old was clear in his mind that a substantial score was only a matter of time.

The breakthrough finally arrived against Services at the Palam Cricket Ground, where a determined 78 helped Delhi take a first-innings lead.

“There was noise because I scored 950-odd runs last season, and this year I didn’t even make a fifty in my first four innings. But I knew I was batting well. Only, luck has not been on my side. I have had a few unlucky dismissals, like today, getting caught down the leg side. But today, I was determined that I will play long,” he told reporters after his knock on Tuesday.

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Fifty In A Crucial Phase

The importance of the innings was evident from the situation Delhi found themselves in. After being reduced to 135/5, having lost four wickets for just 21 runs, the hosts needed someone to hold the fort. Doseja made 78 off 154 deliveries, adding 144 runs for the sixth wicket with Sumit Mathur. The latter remained unbeaten on 80, taking Delhi to 299/6 at stumps against Services' first-innings total of 266.

It was a partnership built on patience, with Doseja consciously moving away from the attacking approach he had adopted in some of his earlier outings.

“Pressure is a privilege. I was not really thinking too much about it. I was getting starts in every game, just that a big score was missing. I was looking to take on the bowlers against Jharkhand and Gujarat. Today, I decided to give myself time,” he said.

The left-hander's approach against Services was noticeably different. Rather than looking to dominate the bowlers, he focused on spending time in the middle and avoiding mistakes. It was a conscious decision to trust his technique instead of trying too hard to make up for the runs he had missed earlier.

That change in approach was particularly important considering the kind of season he had enjoyed in 2025. His 949 runs had put him firmly on the radar of the national selectors, earning him a place in the BCCI's targeted players list and an opportunity to work at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

There, he spent three months concentrating largely on red-ball cricket and worked closely with former India batters and coaches Wasim Jaffer and Hrishikesh Kanitkar. The experience also helped him understand how to deal with the expectations that come with a successful season.

'Focus On Yourself'

“They told me that whatever outside noise is there, you’ve done well, no need to listen too much, focus on yourself. If you play ball-by-ball, you’ll dominate,” he said.

Doseja had a critical encounter earlier in the season against Bengal's pace attack, featuring Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep. His 45 in the first innings of that match offered encouragement, even though he could not convert it into a bigger score.

His next challenge is to turn his promising starts into substantial scores more regularly. Doseja understands that the manner in which he scores his runs will matter as much as the numbers themselves.

“The style of batting matters a lot. Consistency is also important,” he said. “A lot of domestic batters are around for 15-20 years without playing for India. Some play for India after 2-3 years. Dominating consistently is important. I am looking to head in that direction.”

Doseja's 78 against Services may not have been as big as his hundreds last season, but it came at a crucial time. Delhi needed someone to steady the innings, and he stepped up. The knock also showed that he has not lost the patience and composure that made him so successful last season. For Delhi, having Doseja back among the runs is a big boost.