Yash Dhull faces the axe as Delhi captain after shock defeat to Puducherry in Ranji Trophy 2023/24

After a shock loss to Puducherry in their Ranji Trophy 2023/24 opener, Delhi decided to sack young skipper Yash Dhull. The 21-year-old has been struggling for form with the bat and a defeat at the hands of Puducherry, that too at home, is seen as a massive setback for the Ranji Trophy giants.

Himmat Singh will take over the reins from Dhull with immediate effect as Delhi look to resurrect their campaign after what is a potential reality check. Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) joint secretary Rajan Manchanda clarified that the move was just to make Dhull focus on his batting and not give him the burden of captaincy.

Here's what he said about Yash Dhull, as quoted by PTI:

"Yash is a talented player but is out of form. We wanted him to do well as a batter, that is why we have relieved him of captaincy duties. Himmat is our senior player and has done very well for us. He will captain the side."

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Yash Dhull has already seen several ups and downs in a short career

Leading the Indian team to victory in the 2022 edition of the U19 World Cup, Yash Dhull made a breakthrough in the Delhi Ranji Trophy team in February of that year. Becoming a prolific performer for the team, Dhull was named Delhi's captain in December 2022.

In just 17 first-class games, he has scored 1185 runs at an impressive average of 43.88 with four hundreds to his name. However, his form has tapered off since last season and the DDCA believes relieving him of the responsibility of leading the team could help the youngster regain his mojo as a batter.

Delhi will now play their next game of the Ranji Trophy against Jammu and Kashmir. The report from PTI further claimed that veteran pacer Ishant Sharma will be available just for Delhi's home matches.