Ranji Trophy | Gautam Gambhir resigns as Delhi captain for youngsters to take over

Nitish Rana of Delhi team has been made the captain of the team after Gambhir opted out of the role. Whereas Dhruv Shorey, who has played 21 domestic four-day matches has been made the vice-captain. The 24-year-old Rana is a middle-order batsman, who has an average of 46.29 in 24 first-class matches and Shorey has played 21 first-class matches and is a top-order batsman.

"Gautam has intimated the state team's chief selector Amit Bhandari that he would like to opt out of captaincy. He suggested that someone younger be groomed for the job. Nitish Rana will lead the side and Dhruv Shorey will be his deputy," a senior office-bearer of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) told PTI. 

Gambhir had last played for India in 2016 and with age not being on his side, he has been unable to get a look-in to the national team. Now with him relinquishing the captaincy of Delhi at the age of 37, he has hinted that these may be last few years of his playing career.

Even in the IPL, his form for Delhi DareDevils was horrible in last season. He left the captaincy of Delhi Daredevils after his team lost five matches out of six under his captainship and had to sit out of six games. He scored only 85 runs in the first six matches that he batted in. Though in Domestic cricket his recent form has been good and his team even reached the finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he decided to take the tough call.