The Aditya School of Sports (ASOS) announced a partnership with IPL team Delhi Capitals at an event held at the Press Club Kolkata on November 2. With this partnership, Delhi Capitals (DC) expanded its academy programme which is run under the DC Cricket Academy banner, to the eastern part of the country for the first time, and will be working closely with the ASOS Academy in Barasat.

Present at the occasion were Dhiraj Malhotra, CEO, Delhi Capitals; Saba Karim, former India wicketkeeper and head of talent search, DC; Jagrit Anand, head, DC Cricket Academies; Pravin Amre, assistant coach, DC; Anirban Aditya, chairman, ASOS; Ankit Aditya, vice-chairman, ASOS; and Abdul Monayem, head coach and talent research head, ASOS. A talent hunt will be conducted at the academy later this month, and selected candidates in the U-16 age group will be offered scholarship programmes at the DC Academy.

Dhiraj Malhotra said: “We are very excited to bring our academy programme to a new part of the country. It is a superb opportunity for our scouts and coaches to keep an eye out for the young talent here. Our academy personnel from Delhi will also be making visits here for the best kind of knowledge sharing to happen.” Talking to t2 on the vision behind the endeavour, he further said: “The primary vision is to reach and expand to all parts of the country. The advantage of being with an IPL team is that we get the best of coaching facilities, and coming in contact with local talents helps us grow as well. So it’s a rewarding experience for everyone. We have always tried to back them to the hilt, giving them confidence by nurturing them. It’s a great opportunity for people in Calcutta, and I hope they embrace it. It helps you with the necessary regimentation that sports offers, with discipline, helping them bloom as individuals.”

For Saba Karim, having played for Bengal for a long time, coming back to Calcutta is always special. Commenting on the occasion, he said, “Delhi Capitals is delighted to be here amidst the young players and coaches at ASOS. Together we will put in our resources and efforts to hone the talent here in the best possible manner. We look forward to this partnership very much.” Talking to t2 on the importance of scouting for new talents, he said: “It is Delhi Capitals’s vision to invest early. If you recall, we invested in Robin Uthappa, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw before anybody else. We monitor their progress, offering them exposure, putting the coaching staff behind, and we can see the results. Our vision is to have footprints all over India and across the world. Calcutta being a hub for sports and other major industries, gives us the right chance to expand into the East, which will cater to Bengal and the North-East as well.”

Talking about the academy, he said: “It will be a residential centre and thus, will be a holistic experience for people who enroll. We have fabulous infrastructure, a robust coaching programme and structure, and all the deliverables that DC offers to all of its associates when it comes to the academy wing. It will be extremely fascinating to indulge in different exchange programmes that we have.”

When asked about his stint with Delhi Capitals, he remarked, “It’s been absolutely rewarding. To watch these young talents in view, who are so eager and hungry to do well where we look for passion and dedication towards hard work, the ability to have a strong match temperament. We have an extremely capable talent scouting team who travel round the year. So, yes, it’s been extremely fruitful.”

Anirban Aditya said: “With the inking of this MoU with Delhi Capitals, ASOS successfully enables us to provide a cricket academy in West Bengal, which has been a long-time dream of Aditya Group. A cricket academy at the national level will not only create ample opportunities for aspiring players but will also create a strong base for its students all the time.”

Also speaking about the initiative, Ankit Aditya said: “We are extremely happy to be working with the DC Cricket Academy and provide the best grassroot training to the budding talents of the country.”