SK academy players have had the opportunity to interact with stars like Rachin.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Since its inception in 2008, Chennai Super Kings has been one of the most popular sporting franchises in the world with a global fanbase.
In a bid to promote grassroots cricket, CSK — the joint-most successful team in the IPL — opened the Super Kings Academy (SKA) in 2022 to train the next generation of players who could one day represent the franchise and country.
What started with just two centres four years ago has grown rapidly and the academy is set to unveil its 50th centre soon. Apart from India, the Super Kings Academy is present in the USA (11 centres), Australia, Singapore (2 centres) and Canada. There are plans to open one in Qatar as well.
“When we started these academies, we wanted to create good infrastructure, especially in districts (in TN) with proper turf pitches. Most of our centres have floodlights, so the kids can come after school to train. We have a common curriculum and well-trained coaches,” said Louis Mariano, Director of Cricket, SKA.
Sriram Krishnamurthy, global head coach at SKA, felt that one of the USPs was the exchange programmes. “An Arya Ganesh (TN under-16 player) gets to face Matt Fisher (New Zealand), who bowls at 150 kph, which he won’t get otherwise. When our girls’ team beat the West Indies-A women’s team, it gave the side huge confidence. Those are the intangibles,” said Sriram.
The spurt in interest among girls has surprised those at the academy. G. Kamalini, who was part of the India under-19 World Cup-winning squad, is one of the biggest success stories to have come out of SKA. Mariano hopes that there will be more.
For both Mariano and Sriram, the landmark is more about a sense of responsibility than success. They are keen to ensure that they don’t compromise on quality as the academy looks to convert it into a century.
Published – July 11, 2026 12:03 am IST
