The selection days for VECL Chennai Season 1 are Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 December 2026. This post is for the players: some general, practical cricket advice for the weeks in between. None of it is a formula for being selected, because there isn't one. It is simply about arriving ready to show the panel your normal game.
Check your kit now, not the night before
Every player batting, and a wicket-keeper standing up to the stumps, must wear a helmet with a faceguard. It has to fit; a borrowed helmet a size too big protects nobody. You will also need pads, batting gloves and an abdominal guard for batting, keeping gloves and pads if you keep wicket, and proper cricket footwear.
Try everything on a few weeks before. Gloves that have gone stiff, spikes that are worn, or a helmet strap that has broken are all easy to sort out in November and hard to sort out on a Sunday morning.
Practise what you will actually do
The panel watches batting, bowling and fielding, and all three are scored. That is a useful guide to how you spend your practice time.
- Batting: spend time against the type of bowling you find hardest, not just the type you enjoy. Practise running between the wickets as well as hitting
- Bowling: work on repeating your run-up and action consistently. Accuracy you can rely on is worth more than one fast ball you cannot repeat
- Fielding: catching, ground fielding and throwing are often the difference between players. A few minutes every session adds up
- Wicket-keepers: keep to bowlers of different pace, standing back and standing up
Build fitness gradually
You do not need to transform your fitness in five weeks, and trying to do so can lead to injury. Steady, regular activity, sensible warm-ups before you train, and enough rest between sessions will serve you better than a sudden burst of hard work in the last week.
Look after the basics
- Sleep well in the days before, especially the night before
- Eat properly on the morning, and bring something to eat during the day
- Bring more water than you think you need, and drink it
- Tell us about any injury or medical change before the day, not after
On the morning
Arrive about 30 minutes before the start. That gives you time to check in, warm up properly and get used to the ground. Have your kit packed the night before so the morning is calm.
Being watched
Most players feel nervous when they know they are being assessed. That is normal. A few things that help:
- Concentrate on one ball at a time rather than on the panel
- If something goes wrong, such as a dropped catch or a wide, reset and go again. Every player makes mistakes; what you do with the next ball is what you control
- Listen to instructions carefully, and ask if you are unsure
- Encourage the players around you. The game is played in teams
After the day
The panel meets after the last selection day, and offers go out from 26 December. Everyone who registers hears back either way. The panel's decision is final, but if you want to understand it, you can ask us and we will explain it honestly.
If you have not registered
Registrations close on 22 November 2026. The form is at vecl.in/register, and the fee is ₹250 per player. It books the selection day; it does not guarantee a place.
That is the end of this first week of posts. We will keep posting updates here; for anything you need answered now, email info@elitecricketacademy.co.in or call or WhatsApp +91 93846 63776.