BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru: Venue Guide, History & Facilities
BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru isn’t just another cricket ground — it’s India’s newest, largest, and most advanced cricket training and match facility, built to replace the old National Cricket Academy (NCA) that operated out of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium for over two decades.
Here’s a complete breakdown of what the Centre of Excellence actually is, its history, its grounds, and why it’s become the go-to venue for India’s domestic knockout tournaments.
Quick Facts: BCCI Centre of Excellence
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | BCCI Centre of Excellence (formerly National Cricket Academy) |
| Location | Near Kempegowda International Airport, Devanahalli, Bengaluru |
| Land Area | 40 acres |
| Inaugurated | September 28, 2024 |
| Fully Operational | Early 2025 |
| Grounds | 3 (Ground 1, Ground 2, Ground 3) |
| Total Pitches | 86 (indoor + outdoor) |
| Outdoor Net Pitches | 45, across nine soil clusters |
| Indoor Practice Pitches | 8 (UK and Australian turf) |
| Owner/Operator | Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) |
| Head (at inauguration) | VVS Laxman, NCA Director |
| Purpose | Training, match hosting, sports science, rehabilitation |
What Is the BCCI Centre of Excellence?
The BCCI Centre of Excellence is India’s national cricket academy and high-performance training hub, built on a 40-acre campus on the outskirts of Bengaluru, close to Kempegowda International Airport. It officially took over from the old National Cricket Academy, which had operated out of a modest setup adjacent to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium since 2000.
The idea was simple but long overdue: the BCCI had, for the longest time, envisioned a centre of excellence similar to the ECB’s facility in Loughborough or Cricket Australia’s facility in Brisbane. It took years to get there. The land had to clear several litigation hurdles, finally received clearance in late 2020, and construction began in early 2022 after Covid-19 delays pushed things back further.
The wait, by most accounts, was worth it. BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah inaugurated the facility on September 28, 2024, with the academy expected to be fully functional from early 2025 as the board’s primary centre for training, sports science, rehabilitation, and injury management. Operations from the old NCA premises at the Chinnaswamy Stadium have since been shifted out in phases.
History: From a Cramped Academy to a 40-Acre Campus
The NCA’s roots go back further than most fans realize. The original National Cricket Academy was established in 2000 to nurture India’s top young cricketing talent. For years, though, it struggled to live up to that mandate. By the time Sourav Ganguly took over as BCCI president, he openly acknowledged that the NCA — meant to be Indian cricket’s biggest feeder line — had effectively become little more than a rehabilitation centre.
Plans for a proper upgrade had been floating around for years. The BCCI had signed a 25-acre land deal with the Karnataka government as early as 2019, later securing an additional 15 acres near Kempegowda International Airport in Devanahalli to build the new facility. But it took until 2022 for construction to actually begin, and until September 2024 for the doors to open.
Facilities at the BCCI Centre of Excellence
This is where the facility earns its “world-class” tag. Here’s what’s actually inside the 40-acre campus:
The Three Grounds
The facility comprises three grounds, all built to ICC regulations so they can host first-class cricket. The main ground features modern floodlights, a sub-air drainage system, full broadcast facilities, and 13 red-soil pitches sourced from Mumbai. The other two grounds, referred to as Grounds B and C, serve as dedicated practice venues, using black-soil surfaces brought in from southern Karnataka and Odisha.
Outdoor Practice Nets
The Centre offers 45 outdoor net pitches organized into nine clusters, using a mix of soil types including Mumbai red soil, Mandya soil, Kalahandi black cotton soil, and concrete surfaces, with each cluster separated by safety netting imported from the UK. There’s also a dedicated fielding practice area and six outdoor running tracks combining natural grass and synthetic Mondo surfaces.
Indoor Practice Facility
A dedicated indoor practice facility houses eight pitches laid with premium turf imported from the UK and Australia, alongside an 80-metre shared run-up area. Large toughened-glass panels let in natural light, and integrated cameras record every session for performance analysis — meaning players can train regardless of weather or time of day.
Player and Broadcast Amenities
The South Pavilion alone is a three-storey, 45,000-square-foot structure that includes one of the largest dressing rooms in Indian cricket at nearly 3,000 square feet, complete with a jacuzzi, lounge, massage room, and kit storage. Beyond player facilities, the campus also has dedicated commentator and match-referee rooms with modern broadcasting infrastructure, a spacious press conference area, a VIP lounge and dining area, and full administrative offices.
Sports Science & Medicine Block
This isn’t purely a cricket facility. The Centre includes a dedicated Sports Science and Medicine block, which will also be made available to leading Indian Olympians, extending its benefit beyond cricket to India’s wider sporting ecosystem.
Why the Centre of Excellence Matters for Domestic Cricket
Since becoming fully operational, the BCCI Centre of Excellence has quickly become the default venue for India’s zonal and knockout domestic tournaments — most notably the Duleep Trophy, which has been hosted entirely across Ground 1 and Ground 2 in recent editions.
There’s a practical reason for this: hosting every knockout match on one campus, with ICC-regulation red-soil pitches, full broadcast infrastructure, and no travel between venues, makes tournament logistics far simpler for the BCCI while giving players access to recovery and analysis facilities between matches. It also means fringe India players get to train and compete on the same surfaces and in the same environment used for elite-level rehabilitation and preparation — closing the gap between domestic and international standards.
How to Reach the BCCI Centre of Excellence
The venue’s location was a deliberate choice. Sitting in Devanahalli on the outskirts of Bengaluru, it’s a short drive from Kempegowda International Airport (BLR), making it easy for teams, broadcasters, and support staff to travel in and out without needing to navigate central Bengaluru traffic. This is a meaningful upgrade from the old NCA setup at Chinnaswamy Stadium, which sat in the middle of the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
It was inaugurated on September 28, 2024, by BCCI president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah, and became fully operational in early 2025.
Three grounds in total — one main ground built to ICC first-class standards, plus two additional practice grounds.
It's located in Devanahalli, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, close to Kempegowda International Airport.
The BCCI Centre of Excellence has replaced the old NCA, which had operated out of a facility adjacent to the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium since 2000.
It regularly hosts India's domestic knockout competitions, most notably the Duleep Trophy, along with training camps, rehabilitation programs, and India A fixtures.
The full campus spans 40 acres and includes 86 pitches across its indoor and outdoor facilities.
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