Cricket in India is like a birthright to millions. Uncountable individuals dream of representing the country and being seen on the television screen but even less than half of them actually get a chance. For years, the game has been treated as a religion in the country but the powerhouses were confined to a handful of big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, etc. But the time has changed and so is the scenario. The so-called religion has reached every corner of the nation, providing people with the opportunity to come forward and showcase their talents.
Skalzang Dorjey Kalyan is one such individual who defied all the odds to become a professional cricketer. What makes him special is the fact that he’s the first player from Leh & Ladakh to represent Jammu and Kashmir at the domestic level, playing a match in the Syed Mushtaq Trophy in 2021.
About the place, Leh & Ladakh; it has always been in news because of its beauty or the army movements around it. But Kalyan, with the help of his friend Gurmeet Saboo, has tried to add a new chapter to the history of the union territory.
“I played one match in SMAT in 2021. Later, I was picked for the Vijay Hazare in 2022. I didn’t get a game in that tournament but I was there in the squad,” Kalyan said in an exclusive chat with CricketNext.
Sailing against the tide, Kalyan reached his first destination, eventually but decided not to park his boat and he moved ahead. The next step wasn’t just about him but it was about the buzzing cricketers in the Leh & Ladakh region.
Firing all cylinders
Kalyan and his friend Gurmeet decided to listen to their hearts, which knew the language of cricket. The odds weren’t really in their favour but the two figured things out. They sorted out a place for themselves, emerged victorious against the financial crunches and finally gave Leh & Ladakh, its first cricket academy, Ladakh Cricket Academy.
“Me and one of my friends, Gurmeet Saboo started the academy and this is the first cricket academy in Leh & Ladakh. Basically, it was his property where we have setup the entire thing on 50-50 profit-sharing basis. We both are the owners and I’m the coach,” Kalyan said.
The academy, started around October-November last year, has been getting a decent response, reckons Kalyan who further adds that he has some big plans in the coming future.
“I have around 12-13 kids. Moreover, there are 2-3 tournaments which are held in Ladakh every year during the season (May & October). So, these teams come and practice here and we charge Rs 500 per hour for the nets. There are almost 32-40 teams in Leh who generally come for an hour and practice during the tournament.”
“But my plan and target is to hold an U16 and U19 tournament in Leh in the near future. We are approaching the higher officials and also, the registration process of the academy is underway.”
“I’m enjoying myself right now being a coach,” he adds.
The tough calls
While Kalyan has been busy with the physical workload, his friend Gurmeet who is a son of a retired Sepoy has taken some tough calls and arranged the funds that were essential in the beginning.
“Look, we were planning to do this for a very long time but we weren’t having enough funds. But I had this property (actually it’s my father’s place) and decided to go ahead with this,” he said.
“I used to drive a car (taxi) here and decided to sell that off and raised the funds. It gave me around Rs 13 lakh and the rest I took from family. We have invested somewhere between 15-20 lakh till now,” he added.
Aim & Plan
Both Kalyan and Gurmeet aim to provide the best cricket coaching to the kids in Leh & Ladakh.
“Our main aim is to provide proper coaching to the kids around. There are people who play cricket but haven’t really had a chance to get formal coaching. We want to change that. We want to provide professional training to the kids,” Gurmeet added.
“In winter, we run the academy in the afternoon. During the summers, we can have two sessions, early morning and after school.”
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