Shillong, April 28: In a huge boost to cricket in Meghalaya, the State is set to have its own indoor cricket academy at Madan Kurkalang, Ri-Bhoi District.

The academy will be built by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at an estimated cost of Rs 23 crore.

The indoor cricket academy at Madan Kurkalang was among the six cricket academies inaugurated virtually today by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The others are located in Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

The indoor cricket academy will have an indoor practice pitch, high performance fitness centre, swimming pool and other infrastructures.

Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) vice president Rajiv Bareh while thanking the prime minister for inaugurating the cricket academy for Meghalaya also acknowledged the efforts put by former president and honorary secretary of MCA Naba Bhattacharjee and Reyonald Kharkamni to get the facility.

Shillong Cricket Association (SCA) president Macdonald Sawian who is the member of the ground search committee of MCA informed that initially the cricket academy was proposed to be set up at Polo Ground but the plan was changed as the site was not suitable due to space constraint.

“The ground search committee worked hard to find a suitable location. After surveying 20 sites, we finally selected Madan Kurkalang after the Dorbar Shnong Lumdaitkhla, Bhoirymbong offered the ground and entered an agreement with BCCI for a 50 year lease,” Sawian said.

Today’s inauguration ceremony at Madan Kurkalang was attended by MCA president James P K Sangma, honorary secretary Rayonald Kharkamni and functionaries from various district cricket associations of the State.