Ajinkya Naik.
Credit: X/@ajinkyasnaik
Mumbai: The National Cricket Club (NCC), one of the oldest cricket clubs in Mumbai, honoured over 55 groundsmen of Mumbai's maidaans, the melting pot of one of India's finest cricketing talents.
The club believes groundsmen are the unsung heroes of Mumbai, as they shape the future of Mumbai cricket.
The event, held in Mumbai, saw Maharashtra's Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President Ajinkya Naik as the chief guest, while special guests included the Apex Members of the MCA, former India cricketer Jatin Paranjape, and veteran pitch curator Nadim Memon.
Notably, NCC is affiliated with the MCA and has honed several noted players who have played at the state and international level.
Naik said it was a one-of-a-kind event where there are no celebrity attractions. "The event is not about celebrities. It is a celebration of heroes. It is due to our groundsmen's contribution that Mumbai can produce great cricketers.
NCC President Rajdip Gupta has touched the core of cricket and the MCA completely supports the initiative," he added.
"It is not easy to put in your entire career for a thankless job such as a groundsman. But they are the reason Mumbai is known as cricket's home. It is they who help us hit those sixes and bowl those bouncers. Coaches strengthen a player's cricketing basics, but groundsmen strengthen the game's foundation. It is only natural to recognise their contribution in shaping Mumbai's cricketing scene," he added.
Gupta believes it is the groundsmen who help these players catapult from the grassroots to a global stage. "The kind of pitches Mumbai's maidaans have is a formidable task to replicate. All this is possible because of the tireless efforts and expertise of these groundsmen," he said.
Gupta, an established self-made entrepreneur of Route Mobile Limited, also owns two cricket franchises -- Chennai Singams in the tennis cricket tournament Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) and North Mumbai Panthers in the MCA-organised Mumbai T20 league. Gupta also organises corporate cricket leagues to provide a platform for aspiring cricketers to showcase their talent while enjoying their job security. Notably, Route Mobile has more than 200 cricketers working for the company in various roles.
Ramchandra Shaw, a senior groundsman who spent over 40 years shaping the pitches of Mumbai's maidaans, said he feels proud when players score big and represent the country at the national and international levels." I was brought up on these grounds, and in a manner of speaking, these grounds raised me, especially the NCC. We make pitches, but come to think of it, the pitches make us and our lives," he added.