MS Dhoni Cricket Academy and Center of Sports Science have come together in an alliance to launch the MS Dhoni-CSS High-Performance Center at Sri Ramchandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Porur.
The academy is run by the company which manages Dhoni, Aarka Sports Private Limited. The ex-India captain has a stake in the academy and he isn't directly involved in the operations.
The coaching program has been named The Dhoni Way. "We are aware Dhoni has a large fan following here, but the main reason was comprehensive facilities under one roof. Plus, it is recognized by ICC and BCCI. It is one of a kind in world cricket,'' explained Mihir Diwakar, MD of Aarka Sports.
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Former South Africa batsman Daryll Cullinan is the director of coaching. He loved the facilities at the campus, for not only cricket but other sports also.
"I intend to teach players the smart way to learn the finer points of the game at a young age. Technical, mental, and physical aspects are very important. My intention is to see that the talents get a good exposure, not just here but from all over India,'' said Cullinan.
Cullinan commented on India's performance on the Australia tour. India lost the ODI series by 2-1, and won the first T20I of the three-match series.
"It is not easy to adapt from one format to another straight away. You need to have a couple of practice games in order to adapt, but due to Covid-19. At least in Australia one got to see the public back in the stands for all the matches. It is nice to have fans back. By the middle of next year, things should be normal.
"India has some experienced players and we should also give some exposure to youngsters. Winning is important and players should play every game having the World Cup in mind,'' he opined.
On asked about the split captaincy, Cullinan said India doesn't need it as Virat Kohli is doing well. "He (Virat Kohli) has not done badly, why to change the captain,'' he said.
