Mumbai, October 30, 2026:* The National Cricket Club (NCC), Mumbai, organized a Recognition Ceremony today at the club to announce the selection of promising young cricketers selected through its recently concluded ‘Talent Hunt’. A total of 45 players were selected, of whom 16 are batters and 14 are bowlers, 12 are all rounders and 3 are specialist wicket keepers.
The ceremony, organized by Mr Rajdip Gupta, President of National Cricket Club and Chairman of Mumbai T20 League Governing Council, was graced by Mr Ajinkya Naik, President, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), as the Chief Guest. They were joined by other MCA Apex Council Members at the event.
Conducted from 26 to 28 October 2026 at NCC, Cross Maidan, Marine Lines, the talent hunt aimed to identify talented cricketers aged 16 to 23 who lacked access to quality training facilities and professional coaching. The selection process was led by Mr Kiran Desai (Coach KD), a Level 4 and ICC Level 3 coach who has been the Head Coach of North Mumbai Panthers in T20 Mumbai. He was joined on the selection panel by Mr Rahul Pandey (Secretary, National Cricket Club), Mr Ravindra Solanki (Bowling Coach), Mr Jitendra Kanojiya (Manager, National Cricket Club), and Mr Promod Yadav and Mr Sanjay Nikam (Advisory Committee Members).
At the ceremony, the selected players were presented with playing kits. They will also receive:
• Opportunities to represent NCC and various MCA affiliated clubs
• A pathway to prestigious Mumbai cricket leagues
• Free year-long cricket coaching at NCC under the guidance of experienced international coaches
Commenting on the initiative, Mr Rajdip Gupta, President of National Cricket Club and Chairman of Mumbai T20 League Governing Council, said, “Mumbai has been known to produce several talented players for years. Through this initiative, we have identified young players with the potential to advance their cricketing journey in the highly competitive cricket ecosystem of Mumbai. I would like to congratulate all the selected players for the hard work they have put in. This is a start of a new chapter for them. I am confident that the guidance they will receive at NCC will help them to excel in the sport and become professionals ready to face bigger challenges in future.”
The Talent Hunt was supported by SanRaj Group, a diversified business group with interest across multiple sectors; through NCC, the group aims to contribute to the development of cricket by widening access to quality resources, facilities and professional guidance for young players to take their game to the next level.