BCCI to spend whopping Rs 500 crores to build the new Centre of Excellence

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had recently met NCA chief Rahul Dravid to discuss the roadmap for the Centre of Excellence

Bengaluru: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to build a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) here which will replace the National Cricket Academy (NCA). As per reports, the project is likely to cost whopping ₹ 500 crore and it will be completed in around two years time.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had recently met NCA chief Rahul Dravid to discuss the roadmap for the Centre of Excellence.

"There can't be any specific amount assigned to the project. There will be tenders issued for each work. But going by the initial blueprint that's in place, it is estimated that the project will cost minimally around 500 crores. There will be improvisations to the blueprint. The project is running six months late but with the new BCCI regime in place, work has begun in full swing. BCCI expects the CoE to be functional in another two years. NCA director Rahul Dravid is actively involved," a senior official from BCCI was quoted as saying as per media reports.

CoE will have four grounds with the focus being on the nature of pitches as according to BCCI official, various clays and soil will be used to make hybrid pitches.

Interesting facts about CoE

The aim is to replicate pitches found in countries like Australia and England in order to make the cricketers absolutely ready for overseas tours. The official went on to reveal that the grounds can also be used for zonal matches and warm-up games.

The grounds can also be used for domestic tournaments if grounds across the country are not available at any point.

“There is a lot of work put into the nature of pitches. Various types of clay and soil will be used for these hybrid pitches to mimic those found in countries like Australia, New Zealand and England. There are zonal games. Touring teams also play warm-up matches and there are other preparatory games organised by the board organizes. The grounds can also be used for domestic tournaments if grounds across the country are not available at any point. There is also an idea to have an NCA team,” the official added in a statement.

“The BCCI has already got the athlete monitor system and bio-mechanical bowling coach. There are a few more ideas in the pipeline to grow with the modern game.”

Also, the Centre of Excellence will revise its sports medicine approach by tying up with medical institutions. The Centre will also include the high-tech, state of the art elite training and rehabilitation facility.

The Indian cricket board has reportedly also got 15 acres of land for the Centre of Excellence. This is in addition to a 25-acre deal the BCCI has had with Karnataka Government.