4 min readNov 6, 2026 12:26 AM ISTAyush Badoni in action. (FILE photo)Vijay Dahiya’s tenure as Delhi head coach has got off to a difficult start, with the seven-time Ranji Trophy champions yet to register a win in the ongoing season. On Thursday, they could manage only a draw against Services, taking three points by virtue of a first-innings lead.With this, Delhi now have seven points in their account, languishing at the fifth position in the Group C standings. The leading trio of Maharashtra, Bengal and Gujarat, meanwhile, have put daylight between them and the chasing pack, with 19, 18 and 16 points respectively.Asked whether he was satisfied with his team’s performance after Thursday’s stalemate, Dahiya was unequivocal.“Disappointed. Happy is not the word to use,” he told reporters at the Air Force Complex Ground in Palam. “We knew all along what was on the line before the game started, and I think the approach was to try and take maximum points out of this game. We were in a position in the first half where we took all the important wickets, but we couldn’t dictate the terms. When you want to win a game of multi-day cricket, you have to dictate terms, and we didn’t dictate any session. I’m disappointed because we wanted maximum out of this game to stay alive.”ALSO READ | Virat Kohli is available, I want him to play Vijay Hazare: Delhi coach DahiyaDahiya also pointed to missed opportunities in previous matches, lamenting his side’s inability to turn advantageous positions into victories.“When we went to Kalyani, there were moments: they had gone three down, and we dropped two opportunities, one in the slips and one behind the stumps, and both went on to score hundreds. It’s not only that; we came back here against Gujarat, we were in a commanding position, and we didn’t finish that game. That was another thing where we lacked.”Story continues below this adThe coach felt that a lack of accountability among the players had compounded the team’s problems, particularly among those who have been part of the setup for several seasons.“One thing I see missing is accountability. You have people who’ve been around for years, season after season. And when you say, ‘I didn’t get this before the season started,’ it becomes your responsibility to make sure you’re ticking all those boxes. When we look at what is given to us, it’s very important to ask what you have given back. A lot of faith has been shown; it’s important for people to start delivering.”One of the few bright spots in Delhi’s campaign has been captain Ayush Badoni, who, with 559 runs, is second on the season’s run-scoring charts. He has also struck double-centuries against Gujarat and Jharkhand. Yet Dahiya believes the 26-year-old has not always made the most of his opportunities at the crease.“Ayush is very smart; he’s meant for bigger things, but he sells himself very cheaply. He doesn’t set the standard very high for himself. Unfortunately, sometimes when you are in an environment where your hundred needs to become a ‘Daddy Hundred’, you need people to push you. What I had was a very honest chat with him: you need to be in the middle; you can only score when you’re in the middle. His ego starts to come in when somebody bowls a couple of maiden overs. So he needs to understand to give that respect to the bowler as well — he’s there doing his job,” he said.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdStay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement