How Cheteshwar Pujara is nurturing young cricket talent in Rajkot for free

Cheteshwar Pujara during a training session in his academy

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to hit a new destination with Rajkot replacing Rajsthan Royals in the western region. This will be the cash-rich league’s first foray into the state of Gujarat. A constant entity within the glitz and glamour has been Kings XI Punjab stalwart Cheteshwar Pujara. However, the Indian national team batsman’s contribution to cricket in the city is a blue-print for all other players to follow.

Instead of purchasing a huge bungalow or a car, the 27-year old has invested in opening a cricket academy on the outskirts of Rajkot. Sitting on six acres of land, he has successfully created an academy for young budding talents from the city. He charges no money whatsoever, to train the kids in an attempt to streamline them into Gujarat’s cricket hierarchy.

A total of 30 kids are a part of his academy, which is run by the entire Pujara family. The stadium is located close to five kilometres away from the Saurashtra Cricket Association. It is Cheteshwar’s dad Arvind Pujara, who initially conceptualised the idea.

Arvind said, “The entire idea of having a training academy is to create a talent base in Rajkot. Unlike other cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, there are no grounds to play here. Hence, accessibility is limited. If we don’t give the kids a chance to play, how will we know they have talent? Someone has to provide the basic facilities, so that they can get a chance. We have a van system, which picks up each of the kids from their homes and brings them to the ground. The whole point of earning money and garnerning success is so that we can help others.”

The academy has a small gym to help kids with their training regime. A bowling machine, which runs on battery and a rolling machine was also purchased a few months back. Apart from that they have also made a makeshift dressing room. Six pitches have been laid systematically making it a sprawling training facility.

Arvind added, “We are also constructing a small restroom for the kids.” Most of the boys are from underprivileged backgrounds and cannot afford equipment. Hence, the Pujaras have also funded all training-related merchandise, including jerseys.

An SCA official said, “The Pujaras are working really hard to build a solid structure for cricket in Rajkot. We have also been in talks with them on how we can expand their facility.”

Cheteshwar was also adamant that till he is playing for India, he will fund this academy himself. But, sooner or later they have to start looking for sponsors. The idea of this venture came after an IPL match, when Arvind asked Cheteshwar if they could create such a setup.

Speaking to Indian Express, he said, “One needs match practice and that is how I developed my game. I travelled to Mumbai often to play practice games. The only time these boys play matches is when some district tournament happens. I know people might think that I have taken a gamble by having a full-fledged ground but god has given me so much. However, it takes lot of money to maintain this ground but things will be fine (financially) till the time I am playing for India. But sooner or later we will have to look out for sponsors.”

Now the academy will soon start playing district level matches, hoping to create a regular competitive atmosphere for kids to look forward to. Arvind said, “Our goal is to one day produce an international cricketer. Hope it happens one day.”

With Cheteshwar climbing to world number three in the test rankings, he has surely cemented a place in the team. This is also an indication that the academy will go from strength to strength in the near future.