The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has re-appointed Vijay Dahiya as head coach of the Delhi senior men’s cricket team for the 2026-27 domestic season. The announcement, made on September 25, also confirmed a new support staff and a restructured selection committee as the side prepares for its first fixture of the campaign next month.
Dahiya, 53, is a former India wicketkeeper-batter who appeared in two Tests and 19 ODIs. This marks his second stint at the helm of Delhi cricket, having previously served as coach across the 2012-13, 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. He takes over from Sarandeep Singh, though the DDCA did not publicly state the reason for Singh’s exit.
Prior to this appointment, Dahiya served as assistant coach at Gujarat Titans during the 2026 IPL season, working alongside head coach Ashish Nehra. Gujarat advanced to the final that year but finished runners-up, losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad. Earlier in his franchise coaching career, Dahiya held roles at Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
What is Dahiya’s coaching record with Delhi?
Dahiya’s most significant achievement with Delhi came in his first stint, when he guided the side to the Ranji Trophy title in the 2007-08 season. That remains Delhi’s last triumph in the competition. Overall, Delhi have won the Ranji Trophy seven times and finished as runners-up on eight occasions, underlining a strong historical record in the tournament.
During his earlier coaching tenures, Delhi also won the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2012-13. Under a separate coaching setup, the side claimed the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2017-18 and reached the Ranji Trophy final that same season, where they were beaten by Vidarbha. Delhi also made the Vijay Hazare Trophy final in 2018-19, losing to Mumbai. Dahiya therefore returns to a side with considerable pedigree but one that has not won the Ranji Trophy in close to two decades.
Who has been named in Delhi’s support staff and selection committee?
The DDCA has appointed Sanjeev Sharma and Parvinder Awana as bowling coaches for the 2026-27 season, with Kshitiz Sharma and Kuldeep Rawat taking up assistant coach roles alongside Dahiya.
On the selection front, KP Bhaskar has been named chairperson of the selection committee, with Manu Nayar and Praveen Gupta confirmed as fellow members.
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Delhi will open their Ranji Trophy Group C account on October 11 when they face Bengal at Kalyani. The group also features Gujarat, Jharkhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Services.
