Considering the sheer popularity that cricket holds in India, it’s no wonder that there are so many great cricket academies across the country. Cricket is a religion in India and this is reflected in the large number of youngsters that go into training each year!
If you’re one such person looking to train at a top academy and chasing your dream of becoming a cricketer, you’ve come to the right place for information.
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Karnataka Institute of Cricket, Bangalore
The Karnataka Institute of Cricket (KIOC) is a well-known cricket academy located in Bangalore. It offers cricket coaching throughout the year and boasts of state of the art facilities. These facilities include bowling machines, a gym, indoor nets, speed check radars, a physiotherapy center, and much more. It is the only academy in the entire country which is open on every single day of the calendar year.
KIOC is quite flexible in terms of coaching timings, offering morning, afternoon, and even night classes. It has a hostel for trainees coming from outside Bangalore and provides transport facilities as well. The institute houses several experienced coaches, some of them originating from foreign countries such as Australia and England. They accept trainees between the ages of 5-25 years old.
Apart from direct cricket training, they also provide All-India tournament experience for a range of age groups. At KIOC, trainees get the chance to be selected for the Karnataka State Cricket Association division league (based on performance) and the in-state Ranji team.
For more information about Karnataka Institute of Cricket, click here to be taken to their website.
Madan Lal Cricket Academy, Delhi
The Madan Lal Cricket Academy is another reputed cricket training center located in Delhi. They provide the following: an institutional academy, an individual academy, and professional equipment. Entry into the institutional academy involves being selected from a school level and being trained to possibly represent the country. The individual academy, on the other hand, provides individualized coaching to the trainee.
Every once in a while, top cricketers like Rahul Dravid visit the academy and give tips to the young trainees. To improve the trainee’s skills, trainees are given the opportunity to monitor their own performance through video analysis. The academy has a reputation for having excellent facilities and coaching.
In case you’re more interested in a short-term coaching experience, Madan Lal Cricket Academy’s summer camp may be a great fit for you. For more information about Madan Lal Cricket Academy, click here to be taken to their website.
VB Cricket Academy, Chennai
With its establishment in 1997 by VB Chandrasekhar, Chennai’s VB Cricket Academy is one of the first cricket academies around. They offer tailored coaching according to the age group of the trainee and employ a variety of methods to carry out this training. Some of their training methods are video analysis (discussed above), physical training, beach training, and individualized attention to each young cricketer.
They provide training for men exclusively, delivering services to a wide range of age groups. VB Cricket Academy takes pride in identifying any weaknesses and working them out. In terms of batting, they use a high-tech bowling machine to deliver pitches in selected ways. This way, any weaknesses can be overcome through rigorous practice.
Batting is not the only area that this academy focuses on, however. They also provide coaching for fielding and bowling.
Vengsarkar Cricket Academy (VCA), Mumbai
This may or may not come as a surprise to you but this is the cricket academy which trained Yuvraj Singh! Vengsarkar Cricket Academy (VCA) has two branches: Pune and Mahul, both located in Maharashtra. It was established in 1994 and quickly rose to become one of the most popularly known academies.
VCA welcomes young, budding cricketers from across India. It also hosts trainees from across the world, providing a one-of-a-kind experience to all participants. The academy offers professional training by incorporating modern facilities and skill training by experienced coaches.
In addition to this, they handle a unique online interactive platform which may prove to be especially useful for those of you who may not be able to make the trip to Mumbai.
Jaipur Cricket Academy, Jaipur
This academy is relatively new compared to the others, established by Shamsher Singh only in 2010. The Jaipur Cricket Academy is not to be disregarded, however. This cricket training center is just as good as any of the other academies mentioned thus far. It has the necessary infrastructure and coaching resources to nurture talent.
There are numerous training camps conducted at this academy throughout the year. Whether it be individual camps or seasonal camps that you are looking for, Jaipur Cricket Academy hosts them both and more. Moreover, they are known to provide a pleasant coaching experience that allows young cricketers to hone their skills and become better players.
National Cricket Academy, Bangalore
The National Cricket Academy can be found in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was established in 2000 and has been a consistent source of quality cricket coaching for many young, budding cricketers. It is a facility owned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to scout talented cricketers who could potentially represent the country. Some famous names are Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri.
The competition to enter this training academy is extremely high and they tend to select only the cream of the crop. The infrastructure and facilities available reflect this. They have the latest technology in terms of video assistance and cricket equipment. They operate throughout the week and do have hostels to accommodate out-of-state trainees.
In addition to the focused physical training, they also conduct classes to improve the psychological resiliency of trainees with respect to stress management and other relevant factors. Career coaching for young cricketers is also provided.
Sehwag Cricket Academy, Jhajjar
As can be inferred from the name, it was Virender Sehwag who founded this cricket academy in 2011. At Sehwag Cricket Academy, aspiring cricketers get exposed to a variety of skill-building opportunities. These opportunities include touring to different places (domestic and international) to play cricket, tournament experience, and exposure to advanced cricket curriculum.
This academy also offers summer camps in addition to the standard year-round training. This is suitable for those young cricketers who may not be available during the school year.
There is an emphasis on the holistic development of trainees at Sehwag Cricket Academy. This means that in addition to physical and skill-based training, there is also value placed on the mental health of trainees. Training and services regarding this component of cricket are provided by professionals in the field.
Furthermore, Virender Sehwag himself and a few other notable cricketers host talk sessions for the trainees quite often. For more information about Sehwag Cricket Academy, click here to be taken to their website.
Cricket India Academy, Mumbai
The Cricket India Academy is situated in Kurla, Mumbai, and is open to train cricketers of all ages (minimum 5 years old). It is the cricket division of Sports Education Development India Limited (SEDIL). It typically operates at after-school timings but is also open during the weekends. This academy is specifically included on this list because it is unique in the sense that it is welcoming to female trainees as well as male trainees.
Personal and group coaching both are available. There are also ample opportunities for trainees to talk to and learn from established, international cricketers. Summer programs are available in addition to school year programs. The fees for training vary depending on the type of coaching selected.
Vadodara Cricket Academy, Gujarat
This cricket academy was established in 2014, making this the most recently started academy on this list. This, of course, does not take away from the quality of services provided by Vadodara Cricket Academy. It is affiliated with Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) and is currently training around 230 trainees.
Regular and weekend coaching both are offered during morning and evening timings. It is open to male trainees as well as female trainees. In addition to this, they have state-of-the-art facilities and have all of the necessary cricket equipment. These utilities are efficiently used to build the skills of the trainees involved in the academy’s programs.
For more information about Vadodara Cricket Academy, click here to be taken to their website.
Final Thoughts
As can be seen, there are a plethora of cricket academies in India that you can take your pick from. It is important to consider the location and your availability when selecting which academy to enroll in.
A piece of advice that I would like to impart is that it is best to personally contact these academies to dig for more information. This provides a more concrete picture in terms of the logistics involved with enrolling in a training academy, i.e., fees, hostel, dining, etc.
With that being said, I hope this article was of some use to you on your cricketing journey!
