Academy rewards

NCA has played a key role in rehabilitating several stars, including Bumrah, lyer Rahul, ensuring that they are fit for the World Cup

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

EVEN two days out from the Garden City's final World Cup match, the tree-lined Cubbon Road had been gearing up to welcome the hosts. Knockoff jerseys of Virat Kohli hung from trees. Dozens of fans patiently waited outside the main entrance of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium to catch a glimpse of the 15 men who had been training at the facility for the last 3-4 days. The match itself may be largely academic -first plays last with no jeopardy on the line -- but try and tell that to this passionate crowd.

Some of them had also parked themselves outside Gate 21. You can make a case for saying Gate 21 is perhaps the entrance to the inner sanctum of the sport in the country. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) is housed there. Tucked away in a corner of the Stadium, its nondescriptness is only matched by the enthusiasm by which the security guard waves away journalists when they approach the structure from within the premises. "Nothing to see here, go back," one of them informed two scribes on Friday.

Of course, that's not really true. Till a few weeks ago, Rishabh Pant was using the facility for training and rehabilitation post the car accident last December (he's now in Kolkata). After Hardik Pandya's ankle injury during the Bangladesh game, he was flown to the NCA to see if they could get him back up and ready for the knockouts.