Photos: Howzzat! Cricket goes indoors across the National Capital Region

In a country overwhelmed with cricket, many young aspirants dream of stepping into the shoes of their role models. Due to over population and increasing congestion, playgrounds and parks are lessening in the Delhi-NCR region hence giving away to many indoor cricket facilities that have come up over the last few years. Air conditioned, well equipped and rationale demands have made these indoor cricket culture very popular among cricket enthusiasts.

Updated on: Jun 11, 2019 3:11 PM IST

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A boy practises a shot at an indoor cricket learning centre, in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. Away from the scorching heat of Delhi summers, these indoor cricket facilities have become popular among young cricket aspirants and corporate cricket enthusiasts. Many pay-and-play indoor cricket establishments that have sprung up across Delhi-NCR over the past year, giving rise to an indoor cricket coaching culture in the city, and attracting players from far and wide. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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A player uses a bowling machine inside an indoor cricket learning centre. Saurabh Kumar, 19, asks his bowling partner to “bowl” fast. A person stands on a high stool behind a bowling machine, adjusts the controls and the next delivery to Saurabh is a bouncer outside the off stump at 150 kmph. Kumar hits the ball on the up; the sound of the shot coming from the middle of the bat reverberates across the enclosed hall. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Saurabh Kumar, a college student, has come all the way from Motihari in Bihar to join the sports academy in Malviya Nagar. “It is too hot outside these days and I was not able to devote as much time to my batting practice as I wanted. There are no such indoor academies in Bihar, so I came to Delhi,” says Saurabh at the end of the one-hour a session for which he had paid Rs 300. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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A bowling operator loads a ball on to the bowling machine inside an indoor cricket facility. In a country like India overwhelmed with cricket and icons like Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh to name a few, most of young cricketers aspire to become batsman making these cricket academies with automated bowling facility very popular. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Although the temperature outside is hovering above almost 44°C, it is cool inside the arena, which has a shop replete with cricketing gear, a reception with large screen television and upholstered sofas, where a few young cricketers are awaiting their turn at what they call “customised batting practice”. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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Open from early morning to late night, many of these indoor cricket arenas are located in basements and on top floors of commercial complexes. “Fifty per cent of our clients are aspiring cricketers enrolled in various outdoor cricket academies and they come here for extra practice. The rest are young executives who play for corporate teams, whose numbers have risen exponentially in the past few years,” Varun Chowdhry owner of an indoor cricket facility, said. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)

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The way people play sports has changed completely. These cricket facilities are for those who are both cricket and fitness enthusiasts. The city is also increasingly getting congested and parks and playgrounds in Delhi are just not enough. So, the demand for indoor facilities will only rise in the future. (Burhaan Kinu / HT Photo)