Scotland Men’s Under 19s’ Adi Hegde has spent the last three months out in Bangalore, developing his game ahead of the 2024 World Cup in South Africa next month.
The 18-year-old has detailed his experiences in India for cricketscotland.com:
I am currently training at the ‘Just Cricket Academy’ in Bangalore, which is in the southern part of India.
After we qualified for the upcoming Under 19s World Cup I decided to take a gap year to focus on my cricket, before I begin studying Economics at University College London next year.
My parents are originally from this region of India, and a lot of my family are still here. We normally visit once or twice a year, so it’s become almost like a second home to me.
Despite having visited the area many times, this is the first time I’ve been to the Just Cricket Academy; the facilities are world-class, and the people have been so kind and welcoming.
Since coming here, I have been working on a lot of different aspects of my game to prepare for South Africa.
Some of the main areas I have focused on have been improving my hand speed and my options against spin whilst batting, and then I’ve made a couple technical changes to my action to allow me to spin the ball more.
The coaches here have been so good and have really made a positive impact on my game.
It has been amazing to interact with Indian players such as Manish Pandey, Karun Nair and Varun Aaron at the academy. Being around them on a regular basis, and getting an insight into how they train and go about their game has been invaluable.
A typical day at the academy starts at 6am, I’ll normally have some batting and bowling skill sessions before moving onto group nets and fielding in the afternoon, and finally a gym session.
In the evening, I like to relax, listen to music, watch some Netflix, and catch up with my friends and family back home!
It’s been great to train in a new environment where the climate is so different to Scotland, and it has certainly helped me develop physically.
I’ve learned a lot about my body and the importance of hydration and nutrition in such hot climates, which will certainly make it easier for me when we are faced with challenging conditions.
The weekends are my off days, so I try to do as much as I can during them to experience India.
Two other boys from England are here, so we have been exploring the city together, trying lots of different foods, and visiting the sights! I’m very lucky that I have lots of family in Bangalore, so I’ve spent a lot of time with them, and the past three months have truly been one of the best experiences of my life.
Being in Bangalore during the World Cup was an incredible experience; we drove down the road outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium before India played the Netherlands, and everywhere you looked there were stalls selling jerseys, caps, and face paints. You could really feel the buzz and excitement wherever you went, and how much cricket means to everyone.
Unfortunately, by the time I got around to booking tickets for the games, they were all sold out, but I still had a great time watching the games with my friends and family (except for the finals!).
It’s been a great experience, and I’m looking forward to getting back with the rest of the group to continue our preparations for the World Cup in January!
