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National Cricket Academy

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National Cricket Academy
AbbreviationNCA
Founded2000; 26 years ago (2000)
FounderRaj Singh Dungarpur
TypeCricket academy
Legal statusfoundation
Location
ServicesTraining, guidance, rehabilitation
Director
VVS Laxman
Parent organization
BCCI

The National Cricket Academy (NCA) is the premier cricket facility of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) established in May 2000 for the purpose of developing young cricketers who have been identified as having the potential to represent the Indian cricket team. The facility is also used for the rehabilitation of injured players, including many international players.[1]

The original academy was established in 2000 and is located near the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. In September 2024, the BCCI opened a revamped, state-of-the-art facility near the Bengaluru International Airport.[2][3] This new Centre of Excellence (CoE) takes over as the BCCI's primary training academy and site for rehabilitation, injury management and sports science. Operations from the old facility have been shifted out in a phased manner to the new CoE, with VVS Laxman, the director of the former NCA, carrying on as director for the CoE. Notably, the BCCI has extended use of the facility to non-cricketers such as Olympic athletes.[4]

History

[edit]

The NCA was the brainchild of cricket administrator and former BCCI President Raj Singh Dungarpur.[5]

The NCA's early trainees benefited from the Border–Gavaskar Scholarship Program, an initiative funded by the Australia-India Council (AIC) that sent promising young Indian cricketers to train at the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Adelaide, Australia. Named after former captains Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar, the program began in 2000 and selected its scholars, drawn from the NCA and other state and domestic level academies, through a panel chaired by Gavaskar. Recipients included Mohammad Kaif, Sridaran Sriram, and Shiv Sunder Das in its first year, followed by players such as Parthiv Patel, Deepak Chougule, and Cheteshwar Pujara in subsequent years. The BCCI contributed additional funding in some years to extend players' training stays. The program was discontinued around 2011 after the AIC withdrew its sponsorship and no other body stepped in to fund it.[6][7]

In 2000, Sunil Gavaskar argued that the NCA team should not have played the visiting Zimbabwe team, saying "I thought it was unfair on the performers who were not given a chance to play first class matches against touring sides".[8] In response, NCA chair Raj Singh Dungarpur said, "Such people should either resign from the committee, or take it on, or fall in line."[8] Gavaskar resigned as NCA committee member thereon.[8][9]

In 2014, BCCI collaborated with Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to get expert opinion on the creation of its new structure. The NCA also signed a 5 year agreement with the MRF Pace Foundation to send fast bowlers to Chennai for training.[10]

In 2023, the NCA was under scrutiny with former India head coach Ravi Shastri criticizing the workload management and injury prevention of national team players, claiming that "some have become permanent residents of the NCA".[11]

On 16 February 2022, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah announced the construction of a new NCA facility. Plans included three cricket grounds, a gymnasium, 40 practice pitches, a swimming pool and rooms for upcoming players.[12] The new campus became fully operational in 2025, and is now known as the BCCI Centre of Excellence.[2][13]

Administration

[edit]
SeasonChairDirectorCoaches
2000 Raj Singh Dungarpur Vasu Paranjpe, Roger Binny
2001[14] Sunil Gavaskar Brijesh Patel Balwinder Sandhu (Chief Coach), K Jayantilal, Roger Binny
2002 Bittu
2003 Chandrakant Pandit, Venkatesh Prasad, Rajesh Kamath, Vaibhav Daga (Physio)[15]
2004
2005[16] Shivlal Yadav Dinesh Nanavaty, Venkatesh Prasad, Raghuram Bhat, Sanath Kumar, S. Basu[17]
2006 Kapil Dev[18]
2007 Ravi Shastri[19]
2008–2010 Dav Whatmore
2010–2012 Anil Kumble[20] Sandeep Patil
2014–2019 Brijesh Patel[21] Dr.Kinjal Suratwala (Head, Sports Science & Coach Education), Bharat Arun (Head, Bowling Unit), Dinesh Nanavaty (Head, Batting Unit), V Venkataram (Bowling Coach), R Sridhar (Fielding Coach)
2019–2021 Rahul Dravid
2021 VVS Laxman[22]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Krishnan, Sankhya (2 May 2000). "NCA launched amidst a sense of purpose". ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 Kishore, Shashank (24 September 2024). "BCCI inaugurates state-of-the-art 'Centre of Excellence' in Bengaluru". ESPN Cricinfo.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ↑ Kukreti, Krishnakant (29 September 2024). "BCCI's Massive Announcement: Changes the Name of National Cricket Academy".
  4. ↑ Kishore, Shashank (3 October 2024). "VVS Laxman's 'better than world's best' new Centre of Excellence will oversee India's growing talent pool".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ↑ "His last words: Donald George Bradman". Daily News and Analysis. 13 September 2009. Retrieved 11 March 2011.
  6. ↑ "Border-Gavaskar scholars hone cricket skills in Adelaide". Australian High Commission, New Delhi. 13 July 2001. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  7. ↑ ESPNcricinfo staff (23 June 2011). "Border-Gavaskar scholarship cancelled". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 August 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. 1 2 3 "Raj singh is nothing without his chair: Gavaskar". ESPNcricinfo. 23 December 2000. Retrieved 9 May 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ↑ "Gavaskar at best, a reluctant administrator". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  10. ↑ "BCCI signs five-year agreement with MRF Pace Foundation". BusinessLine. 2 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  11. ↑ "'Some have become permanent residents of the NCA': Ravi Shastri blasts players' injury management". The Times of India. 23 April 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ "BCCI Plans NCA Contracts for Fresh Bowling Talent Both Men and Women". The Times of India. 16 February 2022.
  13. ↑ "How the BCCI Centre of Excellence is shaping India's high-performance system". bcci.tv. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "NCA to open five zonal academies". ESPNcricinfo. 30 April 2001. Retrieved 9 May 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  15. ↑ "NCA camp from today". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
  16. ↑ "NCA appointments". The Hindu. 5 December 2005. Archived from the original on 7 December 2005. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
  17. ↑ "NCA training season from May 1". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2007.
  18. ↑ "2006/08 Selection Committee Announcement". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 March 2007.
  19. ↑ "Ravi Shastri appointed NCA chairman". ESPNcricinfo. 28 September 2007.
  20. ↑ ndtv
  21. ↑ Patel set to be NCA director
  22. ↑ India Today Web Desk, Delhi (13 December 2021). "VVS Laxman takes over as NCA chief, shares photo from 'first day in office': An exciting new challenge". India Today. Retrieved 9 October 2022.

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