For decades, domestic cricket was a game of eye tests. A scout would sit in the stands of a Ranji Trophy or County Championship match, watch a young player, and rely on a gut feeling to decide if they had what it took to reach the international level.
So, success was measured by the simple numbers on the scoreboard: runs and wickets. Today, we can still say that gut feeling is still considered, but this can now be challenged, especially with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
In domestic leagues across the globe, AI is no longer a luxury for the wealthy international teams, as it has become the standard tool for identifying talent and refining how the game is played.
To understand how AI is changing the game, we first have to understand the difference between a statistic and a pattern.
A statistic tells you that a batter scored 50 runs. A performance pattern, analyzed by AI, tells you that the batter scores 80% of those runs when the ball is outside the off-stump but struggles when the ball is aimed at their ribcage at speeds over 135 kph.
When an AI algorithm is fed thousands of hours of domestic match footage, teams can now see these habits clearly. Instead of just looking at the final score, coaches look at high-value movements.
One of the most technical changes in domestic cricket is the use of biometric sensors. Most professional domestic players now wear a small GPS vest under their jerseys.
These devices usually track:
Total distance covered: How much a fielder runs.
High-intensity bursts: How many times a fast bowler sprints to the crease.
Load per delivery: The physical strain on a bowler’s back and joints during every single ball.
The AI then takes this data and creates a safe zone for each player. If a young fast bowler exceeds their usual workload by 15% in a week, the AI flags a high risk of injury. This is actually a positive move forward, since in the past, players were more likely to play through the pain until they suffered a stress fracture.
In the domestic circuit, there aren't always enough world-class coaches to go around. This is where Computer Vision comes in. AI software can now read video footage from a standard camera and turn it into a 3D model.
For a batter, the AI analyzes their trigger movements, which are basically the small steps they take just before the ball is bowled. If a batter’s head is falling slightly to the left, the AI can compare this to their successful innings from a month ago and point out the flaw.
For a bowler, the AI measures the release point. If a spinner releases the ball even two inches higher than usual, it changes the trajectory and the dip of the ball.
With these Indian cricket analysis and insights, it’s easier to identify tiny changes in pattern, which can help fix technical issues in the nets before they become bad habits in a match.
In a country with thousands of cricketers, how do you find the next superstar? Well, AI uses Contextual Scoring. It knows that 100 runs scored on a flat, easy pitch aren't the same as 40 runs scored on a dangerous, bouncing track against a 145 kph bowler.
AI analyzes all that data and ranks players based on the quality of the opposition and the difficulty of the conditions.
This then helps even those considered late bloomers get noticed. A player in their late 20s who has consistent, high-quality performance patterns across different conditions might be flagged by an AI system as a hidden gem, even if they don't have the highest total runs in the league.
Now, you might think this sounds like a lot of math for a sport. However, the true beauty of modern AI in cricket is how it presents this data. Coaches don't really see spreadsheets because they see Heat Maps and Dashboards.
So, a captain can look at an iPad during a break and see a Heat Map of where the current batter hits the ball most often. They can see a wagon wheel that is color-coded to show where the batter is weakest.
Even if it’s definitely useful, it can still be said that AI isn't replacing the human element of cricket. It’s simply helping remove the blind spots. With its help, players are now better prepared, better rested, and more aware of their own habits than ever before. For the fans, this means the quality of cricket is much better.