Renowned Cricketers Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami Lead Inauguration of Upgraded National Cricket Academy – WATCH NOW

New Delhi: Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami were among the prominent cricketers in attendance at the grand opening of the newly renovated National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Sunday. The event was also graced by notable BCCI administrators including president Roger Binny, outgoing secretary Jay Shah, and vice-president Rajeev Shukla.

It took 24 years for the NCA to find a dwelling that suits its stature and growth, but the wait was worth it as the facility finally took a new avatar as the BCCI Centre of Excellence, a hub of ultra-modern features including three different kinds of pitches.
The Centre of Excellence, now operating closer to the international airport in Bengaluru, has three international-quality grounds and 86 decks – prepared specifically to make players feel at home in any conditions at home or abroad.

The Ground A, the main ground, boasts an 85-yard boundary with 13 meticulously maintained Mumbai red-soil pitches that will offer a good amount of bounce. Another unique feature of this ground is the Herringbone drainage system that allows uber quick evaporation of water in case of rain.

The ground also is equipped with floodlighting and state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities, if ever the venue is required to host a much high-profile match. The Ground B and C serve as dedicated practice grounds with 75-yard boundaries, featuring 11 Mandya soil pitches and nine Black Cotton soil pitches from Kalahandi, Odisha.

Apart from those three grounds, the Comprehensive Practice Resources in the centre, sprawling over 40 acres, offers an impressive 45 outdoor net pitches for practice divided into nine clusters, separated by safety nets sourced from England. The outdoor facility will also receive a dedicated fielding practice area and six outdoor running tracks with natural grass and Mondo synthetic surfaces.

The indoor practice facility is as impressive as the outdoor one. It gets eight pitches with premium English and Australian turfs. The Sports Science & Medicine Block (SSM) is equipped with best-in-class equipment such as four athletic tracks, a physiotherapy rehab gym, sports science and medicine lab and recovery area and so on. Shah remarked that the facility will also be open to India’s Olympic athletes in future.

Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami attend the inauguration of New NCA in Bengaluru. ⭐pic.twitter.com/gCm0UhZwI1

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) September 29, 2024

Meanwhile, Shami is eyeing a return to the Indian setup ahead of the Australia tour. The India pacer has been out of action since ODI World Cup last year due to an ankle injury, and also underwent a surgery. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA and is expected to make a return to the cricket field in the Ranji Trophy for Bengal to test match fitness.

On the other hand, Pandya too has started training with red-ball and is likely to don the Baroda jersey in Ranji Trophy. It was learnt that Pandya has been asked by the Gautam Gambhir-led management to play domestic cricket.