PM Narendra Modi inaugurates six BCCI indoor cricket academies across Northeast

The BCCI has opened six indoor cricket academies in six northeastern states of India to widen access to high-performance training and quality preparation. 

Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh get their first-ever state-of-the-art cricket facilities, which have also been inaugurated in Sikkim, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland. The academies were virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a state function in Gangtok.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Jay Shah, chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), along with BCCI office bearers and senior officials. Administrators from the other five North-Eastern states joined via video conference.

The foundations for these academies were laid in May 2024 by Shah, with the centres located in Rangpo (Sikkim), Doimukh (Arunachal Pradesh), Imphal (Manipur), Madankurklang (Meghalaya), Aizawl (Mizoram), and Dimapur (Nagaland). 

The academies have been designed as high-performance centres, with indoor practice pitches, high-tech gymnasiums, temperature-controlled swimming pools, and dedicated administrative and training blocks. These facilities will enable access to year-round training, which is a hurdle in the region due to the intensity of the monsoons impacting training and development.

“We are grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for inaugurating these facilities. This initiative reflects a clear intent to take cricket infrastructure to every region and build a stronger, more inclusive foundation for the game. It is also a significant step in ensuring that aspiring cricketers from the North-East have access to the same quality of facilities as anywhere else in the country,” Mithun Manhas, President of the BCCI, said in an official statement.

“This is a momentous occasion and a red-letter day for the entire North-East, and I thank the Honourable PM Shri Narendra Modi for gracing the event and inaugurating the facilities. I thank the ICC Chair Jay Shah, for his vision and for initiating this important project back in 2022. This is a major boost, and the cricketers from the region will benefit immensely as training and preparations will continue throughout the year, giving players the consistency they need to develop their game. I am confident that this will pave the way for more players from the North-East to progress to the highest levels of the game,” Devajit Saikia, Honorary Secretary of the BCCI, said.

“These academies bring structure and opportunity to a region that has immense potential. With a high-performance environment now in place across the North-East, we expect to see steady and sustained growth in the years ahead. The focus now will be on creating competitive exposure and pathways that allow this talent to flourish at the highest level,” Rajeev Shukla, BCCI Vice-President, said.

“This is about building a long-term system and process. By investing in infrastructure and access at the grassroots level, we are laying the groundwork for future generations of cricketers from the North-East. Equally important is the ecosystem around these facilities, which will support coaching, fitness, and overall player development,” Prabhtej Bhatia, Joint Secretary of the BCCI, said.

“The BCCI remains committed to expanding the reach of cricket infrastructure across the country. These academies are an important step in strengthening the talent pipeline and ensuring that opportunities are available to players irrespective of geography. Sustained investment in such initiatives will be key to maintaining the depth and competitiveness of Indian cricket going forward,” A. Raghuram Bhat, BCCI Treasurer, said.