The Delhi and District Cricket Association’s senior selection committee on Wednesday picked Vartik Tihara, a teenager without a single century to his credit in any grade-level cricket match, for the Delhi Ranji Trophy squad.

It is believed that the decision was made under pressure — the 19-year old is son of Vinod Tihara, the convener of the DDCA sports committee, which practically runs Delhi cricket. Vartik has played all age-group cricket — under-15, under-17, under-19 and under-22 — and has a career highest score of 92. He scored 165 runs in his last five matches for Delhi’s under-22 side.  

The senior selection committee comprises former Test opener and Chetan Chauhan as chairman, former India off-spinner Nikhil Chopra, India batsman Virat Kolhi’s coach Raj Kumar Sharma, and former Delhi players Bantoo Singh and Anil Jain.

Skipper Aakash Chopra and Vijay Dahiya, the former India wicketkeeper and present Delhi coach, sat helplessly through the stormy meeting, it is learnt. Both have been denied voting rights in selection matters.

Sources said both Chopra and Dahiya opposed Vartik’s selection but the youth was selected with a 4-1 majority — Chetan Chauhan being the only exception. Chauhan refused to reveal what transpired in the meeting. He said: “Vartik’s highest score was 92 but we had to pick a middle-order batsman and that’s why he was preferred. It wasn’t a unanimous decision but a majority decision.”

Vartik’s has been picked in place of Rajat Bhatia, who would miss Delhi’s next game against Gujarat in Valsaad due to his wedding.

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