Visakhapatnam to get MS Dhoni Cricket Academy

In what comes as a major news to all cricket fans in the city, Visakhapatnam will soon play host to the MS Dhoni Cricket Academy. An agreement in the regard was reached at a meeting held between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and MD, Arka Sports Management Pvt. Ltd (of MS Dhoni), Mihir Diwakar on Thursday.

To be established with an estimated cost of Rs 60 crore, the MS Dhoni Cricket Academy is expected to feature world-class facilities to provide a breeding ground for sportspersons in the city. Apart from facilitating the development of different sporting enthusiasts, the Academy will also be availing the services of international experts in each sport.

While the general scenario involves students sacrificing their studies to focus on training, the upcoming Academy specialises in overcoming this barrier. Students at MS Dhoni Cricket Academy would be able to cater equal time and importance to studies while pursuing their favourite sport.

While the city has many exciting cricketing prospects in store, lack of world-class infrastructure and facilities has seldom been cited as a hindrance. With the establishment of MS Dhoni Cricket Academy, the experts feel that many young aspirants will be given an ideal platform to grow further.

MS Dhoni’s tryst with Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam holds a special place for MS Dhoni. Back in 2005, it was the city that first witnessed his arrival on the international scene. Blasting a blistering 148 against Pakistan, the then-long-haired wicketkeeper-batsman occupied centre stage, owing to his belligerent heroics with the bat. The innings not only proved to be the launching pad for his illustrious career but also made him a huge favourite among the city’s crowd.

In fact, Dhoni also spoke his mind earlier and went on to say that Visakhapatnam is a beautiful city and is one of the choices places where he would love to live in. Now that the city will also be a home to his cricket academy, the bond only promises to get stronger.