5 local Indian coaches who have produced great talent over the years

A cricketer takes wickets, makes truckloads of runs and wins games for his country, and in the midst of flash bulbs that chase these success stories, some men fade away in the background. These men were there for the players when others weren’t. These men helped the players correct their batting stance, and suggested improvements in the wrist position. These men carried the players pillion on their motorcycles, across the city, from one play ground to another. Just so that the players could achieve what they couldn’t.We take a look at five stalwarts of the Indian coaching setup, who have managed to produce great talent, year after year.

#1 Tarak Sinha

Tarak Sinha (Picture courtesy: ESPN Cricinfo)

No name, no ground, no support from the local cricketing body – that’s what Tarak Sinha had on his side when he started off with his endeavour, the Sonnet Cricket Academy in 1969. Inspired by Sinha’s own inability to make it to the Delhi team, Sonnet was the breeding ground for all those who had it in them, but couldn’t afford the exposure that Delhi’s top academies provided.

Popularly known as Ustaadji, Sinha is one of India’s unsung domestic coaches. He’s been in the scene for over 40 years now and has travelled the length and breadth of the country, discovering talent at every nook and corner. His result-oriented approach, and averseness towards being over reliant on technology makes him stand out from the crowd.

For decades, Sinha has mentored youngsters from humble backgrounds, often providing them coaching for free. Some of his pupils like current India Under-19 Vice Captain Rishabh Pant, claim that Sinha looks after his wards in a manner that their parents would.

Sinha holds the distinction of producing eleven cricketers who went on to play for the country and many others who plied their trade in first-class cricket. He has also had fairytale runs with struggling teams such as the Indian women’s cricket team in 2002, and the Ranji teams of Rajasthan (2010) and Jharkhand (2012).

Not having received the Dronacharya Award remains one of the aberrations of Tarak Sinha’s long career, but the spirits are still high, and his primary motivation to enter coaching, intact – that of wanting to help those who don’t have money or access, but come with a bagful of talent.

Famous wards: Raman Lamba, Manoj Prabhakar, Aakash Chopra, Anjum Chopra, Ashish Nehra, and Shikhar Dhawan

#2 Ramakant Achrekar

Achrekar with his greatest pupil- Sachin Tendulkar.

District, state, zonal, national or international – bring every great coach that there is. But you can’t beat the man who nurtured the God of cricket. You simply cannot forget to put Ramakant Achrekar’s name in the list of Indian coaching stalwarts.

While producing a talent who scored 34,357 international runs remains Achrekar’s finest moment, one can’t afford to not notice some of the other stalwarts who’ve grown under Achrekar’s watchful eyes and tutelage – Vinod Kambli, Pravin Amre and Ajit Agarkar among many others, all learnt their basics at Achrekar’s Kamath Memorial Cricket Club at Dadar, Mumbai.

With just a sole first-class game to his name, Ramakant Achrekar never managed to become the cricketer he might have wanted to become, but he has managed to leave an indelible imprint on how youngsters are groomed.

One-rupee coin rewards to motivate a tiring batsman and exhausted bowlers may be a part of the glorious past now, but Ramakant Achrekar’s legacy will always remain in present-continuous.

Famous wards: Sachin Tendulkar, Pravin Amre, Vinod Kambli, Ajit Agarkar, Balwinder Sandhu and Sanjay Bangar.

#3 Sunita Sharma

India’s first woman cricket coach- Sunita Sharma.

In a patriarchal society like India, it becomes extremely difficult for women to carve a niche for themselves in activities that are seen as exclusively for men. Thus, it doesn’t come as a surprise that India’s first woman cricket coach, Sunita Sharma didn’t get success served to her on a platter in the 27 years of her career.

The 51-year old Sharma, has seen it all – from peers dismissing her credentials, to parents not wanting to send their children to her academy. But that didn’t deter the coach, who never got to make her India debut.

Her way of dealing with criticism has been simple. Let the pupils do the talking on the cricket field. And her ultimate moment of glory came when one of her brightest wards, Deep Dasgupta – whom she trained since he was seven, not only made it to the Indian team but also scored a century against England in 2001.

Apart from Dasgupta, some of Sharma’s better known trainees include the likes of Sumeet Dogra, Ajay Verma and Vishal Sharma. She also coached women cricketers such as Asha Rawat, Anju Jain, Mani Mala and Gargi Banerjee.

For her contribution to cricket coaching, she was conferred the Guru Dronacharya Award in 2004.

Famous wards: Deep Dasgupta, Gargi Banerjee, Asha Rawat, and Anju Jain.

#4 Gurcharan Singh

Gurcharan Singh has coached the likes of Kirti Azad, Ajay Jadeja and Murali Kartik. (Pic Courtesy- The Hindu)

The kind of things that Gurcharan Singh managed to do on the field as a player seemed way too little when compared to his achievements off it as a coach.

It is not every day that a little known first-class cricketer turned coach ends up producing twelve international cricketers and over a hundred domestic names – from Kirti Azad to Ajay Jadeja, Maninder Singh to Murali Kartik, Singh has had a pivotal role to play in shaping countless lives.

A man of few words, Singh was the second coach in the country to win the Dronacharya Award for his contribution to the game. And it is his love for discipline and never-say-die spirit that his pupils remember him by. Maninder Singh once famously said, “I wanted to leave cricket, and sir came on his bike to pick to me up.” For Singh, quitting was never an option.

Currently, the octogenarian Singh runs the Dronacharya Cricket Foundation and is still in the thick of things as far as coaching is concerned.

Famous wards: Kirti Azad, Sunil Valson, Ajay Jadeja, Maninder Singh, Nikhil Chopra, Murali Kartik, and Rahul Sanghvi.

#5 Naushad Khan

Naushad Khan is the father of India U-19 cricketer, Sarfaraz Khan. (Pic Courtesy: Cricket County)

It is a matter of pride for Naushad Khan that lately he is being recognized as his son, Sarfaraz’s father first and then as a coach. But in reality Khan’s true calling lies in how he spots and nurtures talent, and provides it the much needed direction.

Khan’s club is situated in the John Bright tent at the Azad Maidan, and it is there that numerous cricketers hone their skills under his strict guidance. However, the beauty lies in Khan’s trips to his native village of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. Each such trip translates in a bunch of young cricketers finding a new home in Mumbai, with Khan as their mentor.

In 2008, Iqbal Abdullah, one of the kids who relocated on Khan’s advice, became a part of the World Cup winning under-19 team. In subsequent years, Abdullah went on to taste success while playing for Mumbai and in the Indian Premier Leage. A year later, another one of Khan’s finds, Kamran Khan took the world by storm during the Indian Premier League in South Africa, where Shane Warne dubbed him as the next big thing in Indian cricket.

It is Naushad Khan’s good fortune, that two of his finest pupils happen to be his sons – Sarfaraz and Musheer. Sarfaraz has already made a name for himself as a promising young cricketer, and Musheer has been in the news for dismissing Yuvraj Singh in a friendly encounter.

Famous wards: Iqbal Abdullah, Sarfaraz Khan, Kamran Khan, and Rahil Sheikh.