When the Duleep Trophy 2025-26 squads were announced, Ankit Kumar was named Shubman Gill’s deputy in the North Zone team. But with Gill unavailable due to illness, the 27-year-old was handed the captaincy for the prestigious domestic tournament. Making his debut as North Zone captain against an East Zone side featuring Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, and Riyan Parag, Ankit felt no added pressure.
Although the game ended in a draw, North qualified for the semifinal after securing a commanding 175-run first-innings lead. Ankit led from the front, scoring a superb 198 in the second innings.
“What we’ve learned in domestic cricket is that everyone is just a player doing their job,” Ankit told Sportstar. “There’s no point thinking of anyone as a ‘big’ player.”
Ankit credits the Haryana team management’s straightforward approach and freedom for making leadership look easy. “Whatever I had heard about captaincy being tough, after leading Haryana, I realised it’s not that hard. When you’re given the freedom to express yourself, to follow your instincts, and those instincts are backed, the job becomes much easier.”
Appointed Haryana’s Ranji Trophy captain at the start of the 2024–25 season, Ankit finished as the side’s highest run-getter with 574 runs, including a century in the quarterfinals against Mumbai. Under his leadership, Haryana went unbeaten in the group stage — drawing against Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka — to reach the knockouts for the first time since 2016–17.
For Ankit, more than skills, it is belief that has driven Haryana forward. “Earlier, we thought bigger teams had some special process, but now we know it’s about belief and execution. Last year, even as a young side, we lost only one Ranji game (against Mumbai). We’ve realised that as long as we play well, we can win.”
That defeat, though, still lingers. “We no longer think reaching the quarterfinals is enough. We were disappointed because of the effort we put in, and the facilities we were given — from skill development programmes to playing tournaments like Buchi Babu — we had everything we needed to succeed,” he said.
Ankit acknowledges the role of Anirudh Chaudhary, Haryana Cricket Association’s representative to the BCCI, in shaping his career and the team’s growth. It was Chaudhary who first spotted him during a district match and gave him an opportunity to play in the Ranji Trophy. “Since then, he has backed me throughout my journey,” said Ankit, who has scored 2,379 runs in 37 First-Class matches at an average of 39.65.
“Anirudh sir and Ashok (Menaria) bhaiya have helped us change our mindset. Anirudh sir treats us like family, so there’s no fear of failure or pressure. That mental freedom has been the biggest change.”
For now, Ankit isn’t preoccupied with higher honours. His focus is firmly on winning titles with Haryana. “Since winning the Vijay Hazare (2023-24 season), our mindset has changed. We no longer play just to participate; every tournament we enter, we play to win. Getting knocked out now feels like wasting a golden opportunity,” he said.
Published on Aug 31, 2025
