BCCI to spend around 500 crores to build the new Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier spoken of its plans to build a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bangalore which will replace the National Cricket Academy (NCA). As per latest developments, the new project is likely to cost around INR 500 crores and will take only two years to be completed.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had recently met NCA chief Rahul Dravid when both of them agreed on the new project.

"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.

The NCA had recently come under the scanner for not able to do proper diagnosis of cricketers’ injuries/health issues. Fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s sports hernia was not diagnosed by the association until the Indian team's physio diagnosed it. The Centre of Excellence will revise its sports medicine approach by tying up with medical institutions. Besides that, the venue will also have four grounds with different pitches to help players prepare for overseas tours.

Also see - India tour of New Zealand schedule 2020

"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. 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.