Who is Dev Chaudhary? A DPL selection so Controversial as DDCA promises Review

Dev Chaudhary has unexpectedly become one of the most discussed names in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2026, but his growing visibility has little to do with runs.

The 22-year-old batter, who represents New Delhi Tigers, has attracted intense social-media scrutiny over his selection, batting technique and limited publicly available record before entering the tournament.

The controversy has prompted the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) to review the rule allowing franchises to select three players outside the auction.

The Controversial Clause of DPL

This season’s DPL tournament rules allowed each of the eight franchises to pick three players of their choice outside the auction, provided they had played at least five DDCA League matches. Several DDCA Apex Council members had opposed the provision, fearing it could enable favouritism and the selection of undeserving players.

Who is Dev Chaudhary?

Dev played two matches for New Delhi Tigers as an opener. He scored just 0 off 2 balls against South Delhi Superstarz and 16 off 24 against West Delhi Lions.

His innings against West Delhi, particularly his unusual batting stance and inability to find attacking shots, intensified questions about his selection. His five consecutive dot balls against a spinner during the Powerplay further raised eyebrows among players, coaches and officials.

Also, there have been videos of his DPL training that captured his unconvincing running approach to a catch, in which he has fallen short of the regular catching mechanism. Overall, several reasons flagged his inclusion in the franchise tournament.

Where did the selection controversy come from?

The bigger question surrounding Chaudhary is his cricketing background. There is limited publicly available information about his senior-level career before the DPL. A 2021 DDCA Under-19 preliminary trial document circulating online lists a player named Dev Chaudhary as an all-rounder, with middle-order batting and right-arm seam bowling.

That apparent gap in his publicly documented competitive record has led sections of social media to question how he earned a place in a DPL playing XI, particularly as an opener. Some posts have even labelled his selection a “fraud” and made unverified claims about his family background or alleged influence.

DDCA promises Review

DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma confirmed that the controversial rule will be reviewed after the tournament, potentially paving the way for changes to prevent similar selection controversies in future editions.

“It has been an absolute shame. I was the first one who had raised my voice about this rule. They made a criteria that five DDCA League games would be enough to qualify for a place in DPL without auction.

Apex Council member and lawyer Shyam Sharma alleged that he had warned about precisely such a situation and claimed several players entered teams through recommendations.

“Now I had asked on the forum, what if that guy hasn’t performed and picked. Dev Chaudhary has been exposed but there are many players like this who have come into the teams on recommendations,” Apex Council member and noted lawyer Shyam Sharma alleged to PTI. MyKhel has approached both for comment.