At a time when success in the Ranji Trophy has become more democratic than ever, Delhi's decline in the competition stands out as one of Indian domestic cricket's more striking underachievements. The northern side, a seven-time Ranji champion and long regarded as one of the game's traditional powerhouses, has failed to progress beyond the group stage in each of the last seven seasons. Its last title came in 2007-08, and even its runner-up finish in 2017-18 now feels like a distant high point rather than the beginning of a revival.
Into that backdrop steps Vijay Dahiya, a familiar figure in Delhi cricket and a coach who has already once overseen a title-winning campaign. Dahiya, 53, was in charge during Delhi's 2007-08 Ranji triumph, his first season as coach after retiring from playing in 2006. Now, after multiple stints in various roles since then, he has been handed the job again, with the expectation that his experience, familiarity with the dressing room and understanding of the city's cricketing culture can help arrest the slide.
Dahiya did not disguise the scale of the task. Speaking to The Hindu after his appointment on Friday, he identified red-ball cricket as the area that needs the most urgent repair. "Red-ball cricket has been a challenge. There's no denying it. The gap between good teams and the rest is more visible in this format. It takes a little bit of time to build, but we have the ingredients," he said.
His comments reflect a broader truth about domestic cricket in India: the longer format demands patience, discipline and a collective commitment that can be harder to sustain in an era increasingly shaped by white-ball cricket and the IPL. Delhi, despite its reputation and talent pool, has not found the formula. The team has not won a white-ball title either since lifting the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2017-18, underscoring that the problem is not confined to one format alone.
For Dahiya, though, the red-ball challenge is the one that most clearly exposes the gap between reputation and results. He believes the first step is to reconnect the players with the weight of the badge they wear. "I will try and remind them of the team that they play for. We have a history. We need to change a little bit of the mentality to play this format," he said.
That emphasis on mentality is telling. Delhi's recent struggles have not been about a lack of talent alone; they have also been about consistency, resilience and the ability to stay in contests over four days. In first-class cricket, where matches are often decided by small margins and long spells of concentration, Dahiya appears convinced that the side needs a cultural reset as much as a tactical one.
Asked whether his own memories of the 2007-08 title-winning season could inspire the current group, Dahiya was candid and unsentimental. "It was a long time ago. Personally, there is something, but that doesn't connect with this lot," he said. "They have to make their own memories. They have to make their own history. I will try to be part of that."
That answer captures both the challenge and the opportunity in front of him. Delhi cannot live on past achievements, however glittering they may be. The current squad must build its own identity, and Dahiya's job is to help shape the conditions for that to happen. Whether that means sharper preparation, stronger discipline in the field, or simply a renewed respect for the demands of the format, the message from the new coach is clear: Delhi's revival will not come from nostalgia.
It will come only if the team learns, once again, how to win the hard way.