NCA likely to move out of Bangalore

The National Cricket Academy's restructured Centre of Excellence is likely to be shifted out of Bangalore. The NCA board, during its meeting in Delhi on Thursday, decided to move the premier training academy to a permanent facility with world class infrastructure and short-listed Pune, Dharamsala and Mohali as possible alternatives.

Bangalore has been home to the NCA since it was founded in 2000. During a meeting on April 30, the NCA board, headed by MP Pandove, had held preliminary discussions over the possibility of moving it out due to impending issues over the 49-acre plot on the outskirts of the city. The BCCI had in 2013 decided to move the NCA from the Chinnaswamy Stadium premises to a new facility at Kurki, near the Bangalore airport, but the plan couldn't take off since the plot that was bought was embroiled in a legal tangle.

Pune may lose out to the two northern cities. Despite having perhaps the most modern cricket stadium in the country, the Maharashtra Cricket Association still does not have a residential academy. Mohali and Dharamsala, on the other hand, have residential academies run by the Punjab Cricket Association and the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, respectively.

Besides, some NCA board members, during Thursday's meeting, were of the opinion that stationing the NCA in a city at a higher altitude may help cricketers increase their stamina. Dharamsala is situated roughly 1500m above sea level.

The BCCI is likely to take the final call during its Annual General Meeting next month.