Delhi Under-19 men's team coach Rajeev Nayyar has formally requested the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) to organise a two-week preparatory camp focused on fielding and fitness ahead of the Cooch Behar Trophy, which begins on 26 November. The request follows a disappointing Vinoo Mankad Trophy campaign in which Delhi finished bottom of their group, winning just one of their five matches.

Why Nayyar Is Pushing for the Camp

Nayyar identified fielding and fitness as the two areas requiring urgent attention before Delhi's red-ball campaign gets underway. 'When a kid plays cricket, I first check whether he is fit or not. If he is fit, then he will bat, bowl and field. Secondly, I will look at his fielding. Fielding is very important because even after making 100 runs, if you give away 10 runs in the field and drop a catch, that batter can go on to score a hundred,' he said.

He added that skills work would continue during the camp but would take a back seat to the physical and fielding drills. The coach also wants players to identify their own weaknesses — whether against left-arm bowling, off-spin, or the short ball — so that those gaps are closed before competitive fixtures begin.

DDCA Response and Timing

According to Nayyar, the DDCA has assured him of time for a camp ahead of the Cooch Behar Trophy. The holiday calendar — including Diwali and Karva Chauth — factored into his reasoning for requesting the window. The final decision on the camp dates rests with the association. 'The rest is up to the DDCA officials — the final call is theirs. Whenever the camp is set up, I will share my playing experiences of 20 years with all the players,' he said.

The camp, if approved, will feature intra-squad matches rather than friendlies against other states, given the time constraints. Nayyar said match simulations against teammates offer practical value even without external opposition.

What Went Wrong in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy

Delhi's Vinoo Mankad Trophy campaign was a tale of early promise followed by a sharp collapse. The side opened with an impressive 339-run chase against Gujarat, but then lost to Himachal Pradesh by 35 runs and were routed by Karnataka by 198 runs. Their match against Jharkhand was washed out, and a five-wicket defeat to Chandigarh sealed their position at the bottom of Group E.

Nayyar singled out the rained-off Jharkhand fixture as particularly costly. 'If we had won that match, we would have got two points, and we would automatically have finished third,' he said. He attributed the underwhelming campaign partly to a lack of preparation time before the tournament.

Nayyar's Broader Message: Red-Ball Cricket Cannot Be Ignored

Beyond the immediate camp request, Nayyar used the occasion to address a wider concern about the next generation of cricketers gravitating exclusively toward the shortest format. 'Nowadays, players are not interested in playing four-day games. They just love to play T20s and are more interested in it because they are only watching the IPL. But we have to make the kids understand that red-ball and first-class cricket are very important, because the IPL alone won't take you into the India team,' he said.

He drew on his own experience of playing over 100 first-class matches to argue that mastery of the longer format underpins success across all formats. Nayyar also praised DDCA president Rohan Jaitley for establishing the Delhi Premier League (DPL) as an additional platform for young cricketers, while noting that structured self-discipline — early runs, gym sessions, and deliberate fielding practice — remains rare among academy players across the country.

Delhi's Cooch Behar Trophy Schedule

Delhi have been placed in a competitive pool alongside Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab, Hyderabad, and Rajasthan. Their opening fixture is against Punjab in Ropar, followed by matches in Hyderabad and against Rajasthan. Nayyar is keen to enter the tournament without the preparation gaps that haunted Delhi's Vinoo Mankad Trophy outing, and all eyes will be on whether the DDCA greenlights the camp in time.