New Delhi, Sep 29 || The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) inaugurated the new National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Sunday. The world-class facility will now be called the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).
The previous facility was operating out of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium premises since its establishment in 2000.
Now, spanning over 40 acres of land near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, the BCCI Centre of Excellence features a total of three world-class grounds and 86 pitches, including both indoor and outdoor areas, highlighting its capacity to provide comprehensive training facilities. The three grounds are designed with white picket fencing and lush green seating mounds, reminiscent of English county grounds.
Ground A is the main ground, and boasts an 85-yard boundary with 13 meticulously maintained Mumbai red soil pitches ready for play. It is also equipped with advanced floodlighting and state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities, thus implying it can host and telecast matches under lights.
Grounds 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. It also has an innovative subsurface drainage system, which ensures quick recovery after rainfall, minimizing disruptions and maintaining a consistent playing schedule.
It also has an impressive 45 outdoor net pitches for practice organized into nine clusters, including Mumbai red soil, Mandya soil, Kalahandi black cotton soil, and concrete pitches, all separated by safety nets sourced from the UK. Adjacent to the nets is a dedicated fielding practice area and six outdoor running tracks with natural grass and Mondo synthetic surfaces.