Step-by-step advice on pathways, clubs, competitions and coaching for getting into girls cricket and women’s cricket in Delhi.
Delhi has something few other cities in India have. One of the gates of the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium is named after a legend of women’s cricket from Delhi: Anjum Chopra.
Anjum, a former captain who is now a commentator, is part of a rich legacy of women’s cricket in the city. Rajesh Nayyar, who was among the pioneering batch of female cricketers in India, Fast bowler Shashi Gupta, ace all-rounder Amita Sharma, hard-hitting opener Jaya Sharma, record wicketkeeper-batter and now international coach Anju Jain, and Reema Malhotra, who is now a commentator, all represented India to great acclaim. In the present team, Priya Punia and Simran Bahadur have played for Delhi.
WATCH: Priya Punia making a match-winning 75* v South Africa in 2019
Cricket in the city and surrounding areas is run by Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA). Here’s how a girl can get into the DDCA system and play for the Delhi state team.
Where to start
There are plenty of places in Delhi you can turn to if you want to play competitive cricket. Almost all cricket academies are open to girls.
For many girls, their cricket journey starts from school. Most of the top schools offer cricket, and PE teachers or separate cricket coaches guide the students. This way, you can play cricket as an extracurricular activity, and don’t need to find separate private coaching.
School cricket for girls in Delhi
Although there is no official school cricket tournament organised by the DDCA, many schools offer girls a chance to play cricket. Either in private tournaments or competitions organised by the School Games Federation of India. A few ISCE or CBSE schools from north India may get together and play competitions.
Some schools where girls play cricket:
- Delhi Public School (DPS schools from around the country play tournaments against one another)
- Modern School
College cricket for women in Delhi
Although the state association doesn’t have an inter-collegiate tournament, the college cricket environment is pretty active. Delhi University sometimes organises inter-college matches. Some colleges that have had teams in recent years and have coaching on their campus are:
- Gargi College
- Jesus and Mary College
- Lakshmibai College
- Kamala Nehru College
How to get selected for the Delhi women’s team
Delhi has teams for Under-16, Under-19, Under-23 and senior age groups.
Selection for all is via open trials.
Trials → Probables camp → State team
This works as follows:
- DDCA announce the dates for open trials for various age groups. This announcement usually appears in the newspaper or their website. Your school coach will also have this information.
- On the day of the trial, you have to go to the location, register and show what you can do.
- The best players from the trial are named as state ‘probables’ in each age group. There are usually around 25-30 probables, who attend a state camp.
- Based on performances at the camp and in selection matches played among themselves, players are named for the state squad.
Although performances in college matches don’t count directly towards selection, they do give selectors something to think about.
Facilities
The DDCA complex at Feroz Shah Kotla is open to women too. Access will be granted to gym and indoor facilities upon request.
In general, cricket facilities are good across Delhi.
Contact generalenquiry@ddca.com
Academies for girls in Delhi
Most academies have opened their doors to girls. Some big names are:
- Madanlal Cricket Academy (various locations)
- GS Harry Cricket Academy
- Sonnet Cricket Club
- Sehwag Cricket Academy (various locations, 50% discount for girls)
- Dronacharya Cricket Academy
- West Delhi Cricket Academy
Other opportunities for girls to play cricket
- A few private ‘invitational tournaments’ happen in Delhi every year. These aren’t always recognised by DDCA. So, check with your coach before attending these.
- Delhi state teams sometimes have matches with 3-4 other teams from the region.
If you have information on schools, colleges or academies that support girls cricket in Delhi, contact us and we’ll add it to this page!