The common “Air India ground” in Santacruz the place a few of Mumbai’s brightest younger Team India gamers, akin to Prithvi Shaw, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shivam Dubey, honed their abilities could not be accessible to aspiring cricketers.
The facility is housed inside a sports activities advanced owned by Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), which was taken over final 12 months by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL). On Wednesday, MIAL warned of “legal consequences” if there was any exercise on the multi-discipline venue the place near 1,000 cricketers practice at round 60 nets.
The nearest different cricket facility is the Cross Maidan in South Mumbai, at the least 22 km away. The floor can be a favorite spot of neighbourhood walkers.
In a letter addressed to Air India regional director Ravi Bodhade, MIAL stated: “Please note that land of sports complex has been demised by AAI to MIAL & we have taken over the possession of the same. No activity whatsoever is permitted to be undertaken on this land. Any force for attempt to use the land will lead to legal consequences as per rights of MIAL.”
The letter states that this communication can be marked to Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone VIII “as a precautionary measure to avoid any Law & Order situation”.
The MIAL spokesperson didn’t reply to textual content messages and calls from The Indian Express looking for touch upon the corporate’s plans for the bottom.
It’s the one cricket floor within the suburbs with a 70-yard boundary, and hosts common video games below floodlights within the evenings. It has been used for coaching by different Mumbai Ranji Trophy gamers, together with Sachin Tendulkar’s son and former India u-19 participant Arjun Tendulkar.
“The ground has been a pipeline for future cricketers. Players like Prithvi Shaw and Yashasvi Jaiswal have come from that ground. If that ground can’t hold any activity, that pipeline will stop,” former India opener Wasim Jaffer stated.
“There are 62 nets sessions that run daily here. At the same time, this complex also has shooting, table tennis, tennis and badminton facilities. This ground connects people from the western and central suburbs,” stated former Air India tempo bowler Ashutosh Dubey.
“I have coaching centres at other places, too, but there are many whose lives are dependent on this ground. Many coaches earn from coaching here. It’s not only cricket but other sports too. It’s the only perfect ground in Mumbai’s suburbs,” stated Jwala Singh, who runs MCC Cricket Academy on the floor the place former Sri Lanka pacer Chaminda Vaas performed a training clinic just lately.
On Wednesday night, a number of individuals gathered in protest because the advanced was discovered locked, prompting the police to step in.
“We called the police. They wanted to see the order which states that the common public cannot use it. The ground is used by so many sportspersons for their fitness routines. Earlier too, GVK, which was managing the Mumbai airport, had tried to lock the ground but we protested and the matter was sorted out,” stated Prakash Shetty, an area resident.
