Four young Mumbai cricketers — seam-bowling all-rounder Ayush Vartak, batter Ayaz Khan, opener Divyaansh Saksena and leg-spinner Vedant Gore — are taking part in the Delhi Capitals selection trials, which began on Monday and will run until Wednesday at the Just Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.The trials are being overseen by Delhi Capitals’ new coaching group, featuring former India captain Sourav Ganguly, 2011 World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh and former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra. Ganguly is expected to be named head coach, Yuvraj the batting coach and Mishra the spin bowling coach.Ayaz earned attention after finishing with the highest batting average (204) in the BCCI Under-23 One-Day Tournament last season. The 23-year-old struck 104 off 54 balls, with eight sixes and eight fours, and followed it up with an unbeaten 99 off 41 balls, which included 11 sixes and three fours, for Mumbai against Goa at the Wankhede Stadium. He also represented eventual champions MSC Maratha Royals in the 2026 T20 Mumbai League, scoring 174 runs in five matches at an average of 34.80 and a strike rate of 174, with a highest score of 87.He also impressed in red-ball cricket while playing for Nirlon in the Times Shield A Division, where he finished as the leading run-scorer with 489 runs in five matches at an average of 122.25 and a strike rate of 112.15. His tally included an unbeaten 200, along with 36 fours and 28 sixes.Divyaansh, who played one Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai in January 2023, finished as the Orange Cap winner in this year’s T20 Mumbai League. He scored 261 runs with three half-centuries at a strike rate of 174. During the tournament, he smashed a 17-ball fifty for Arcs Andheri against Eagle Thane Strikers.The 25-year-old left-hander had earlier partnered India’s Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal during the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa. He scored 150 runs in five matches at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 64.93, including two fifties.Both Divyaansh and Ayaz are coached by Jwala Singh, who also coached Yashasvi Jaiswal in his early years. They play for Dadar Union in Mumbai’s club circuit but are yet to make their senior debut for Mumbai.Vartak had attended Chennai Super Kings’ trials before IPL 2026 in April. The 21-year-old from Vasai, who plays for Parsee Gymkhana in Mumbai’s local cricket, captained the Mumbai Under-23 side during the first phase of the Col CK Nayudu Trophy last season.Although he is yet to play for Mumbai’s senior team, Vartak has been part of the senior probables in the last two seasons. He scored 363 runs in six innings in the Men’s State A Trophy 2025, including 26 sixes — the second-highest tally in the country behind Mukul Choudhary. His scores included 132, 92 not out and 75, making him Mumbai’s leading run-scorer in the tournament.In the 2024-25 Col CK Nayudu Trophy, Vartak scored 770 runs in nine matches — the highest by a Mumbai batter — with scores of 192, 105, 102, 77, 59 and 54. He recently received the MCA’s Under-23 Outstanding Performance Award for the 2024 season.Gore represented the Mumbai Under-16 team last season and is also among the players attending the Delhi Capitals trials.
