Delhi Capitals has partnered with former England cricketer Sajid Mahmood to launch two cricket academies in the UK at Farringtons School and William Perkin CofE High School respectively, under the name ‘Delhi Capitals Saj Mahmood Cricket Academy’.
The association between the IPL franchise and the former player aims to identify and nurture young players and help improve and enhance their cricketing skills.
Delhi Capitals CEO Sunil Gupta in a statement said, “We are very excited to expand the Delhi Capitals footprint to the UK with this partnership with Saj and his academy.”
Speaking on the partnership, Sajid Mahmood, owner-head coach of the academy said, “We are thankful to the Delhi Capitals for joining hands with us and we look forward to creating a big talent pool.
“We will have the support of ECB-certified coaching staff at the academy who will look after the trainees. This is a ground-breaking move marking the first-ever IPL franchise launching two academies together. Delhi, welcome to London,” he added.
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The academy will have a trial session on November 24, 2024, while the first session is scheduled for January 12, 2025.
The next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin on March 14, with the final scheduled to be played on May 25. The IPL 2025 mega auction was held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, with 577 players up for signing.
Delhi Capitals made its big-money signing on the first day of the auction when it sealed the deal for KL Rahul. It also retained Australian opener Jake Fraser-McGurk while bringing in pacer Mitchell Starc.
On the second day, DC employed an RTM on Mukesh Kumar and signed up experienced batter Faf du Plessis.