Veteran Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has issued a stark warning about the alarming disparity in quality between teams in India's domestic cricket circuit. His comments come in the wake of a brutally one-sided encounter in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, where Bihar posted a mammoth total of 574 runs against Arunachal Pradesh.
A Record Total Sparks a Serious Debate
The match that triggered this discussion saw Bihar completely dominate their opponents. The team registered their highest-ever total in men's List A cricket, finishing at a staggering 574 runs in their allotted 50 overs. The innings was powered by spectacular centuries from three batters: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (190 off 84 balls), Ayush Loharuka (116 off 56 balls), and captain Sakibul Gani (128 off 40 balls).
While such individual performances are noteworthy, Ashwin, speaking on his YouTube channel, questioned the health of the competition. He expressed concern that such mismatches offer no real contest and could damage the confidence of emerging teams.
Ashwin's Concern: 'No Contest at All'
"Huge applause for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. But I again want to ask a question," Ashwin stated. He pointed out a "huge divide, chalk and cheese, in terms of quality with some teams." The seasoned spinner emphasized that these encounters become excessively lop-sided, stripping the game of its competitive essence.
"It is not an ideal contest. Credit to Vaibhav for his performance. He is doing what he has to do," Ashwin added. "But if we are serious about teams like Arunachal Pradesh becoming good sides, what will this do to their confidence?" His remarks highlight a critical structural issue within the domestic framework, where the gap between the strongest and weakest units appears to be widening.
Praise for Ishan Kishan's Resilient Comeback
In the same discussion, Ashwin also took time to applaud wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan for his determined return to form. Kishan, who recently earned a spot in India's T20 World Cup squad, has been in scintillating touch. Ashwin framed Kishan's journey as a testament to perseverance and hard work over passively waiting for opportunity.
"Everyone goes through good and bad times but Ishan Kishan had a challenging time," Ashwin recalled, referencing the player's break from cricket and subsequent struggles for a national recall despite a double century in ODIs.
"He played well in the SMAT (Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy) and in the run of events got into the T20 World Cup squad," Ashwin noted. "Now he is batting in the middle-order slot in the VHT and scored a 33-ball hundred. It shows what confidence and form can do to a person when time aligns. He has not waited saying his time will come, he has put in that effort."
Ashwin's dual commentary—critiquing the system while celebrating individual resilience—puts a spotlight on the complex realities of Indian domestic cricket. It calls for a balance between fostering explosive talent and ensuring a uniformly competitive environment for all participating teams.
