Sunday proved to be a sad day for Delhi cricket as the iconic Sonnet Cricket The club was dislodged from its longtime base Sri Venkateswara College. The Sonnet Club, which started in 1969 under Dronacharya awardee coach Tarak Sinha, has produced over a dozen Indian cricketers and several players representing various states in the domestic circuit.
The Sonnet Club was launched by Sinha at Birla School in Kamla Nagar and traveled to Karol Bagh, DCM Ground, PGDAV College, Rajdhani College and Ajmal Khan Park at Picnic Hut before being set up at Sri Venkateswara College. Now, suddenly, the club no longer has a home and a place for the current students to train and hone their cricketing skills.
“Yes, today was our last day of practice here. When management changes, some new people come. Some of them are sports-minded while some are not. We are practicing here from last 22 years Madam (principal of the college) then told us that today, April 30, would be your last day here.”
Sharma, who played 14 first-class matches for Delhi, was surprised at the turn of events, which have left Sonnet now without ground and its future uncertain.
“I finished all the drills today, and just came out of the club. All the students were asking me where we would get to practice next. I told them, ‘Son, I don’t have any room right now’. “
“If the college allows, we will definitely practice here. But I felt that if madam is not interested then we should practice there, so she did not give any reason behind asking us to leave. We used to pay on time. We had nothing to do with the madam or the management. We just did our drills and went away.”
So far, Sonnet has four coaches and 100 students enrolled for practice, out of which 40 boys are state players.
“We were practicing in this college for so long. Currently, our students Ayush Badoni and Hrithik Shokeen are currently playing IPL for Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians respectively, apart from grooming Indian players like Rishabh Pant.”
“Before his accident happened (last year), he had met ma’am (principal) and told her that there should not be any problem with the club. Like, suddenly we were told that now we cannot practice here. I am Trying to find a place to practice. But I haven’t found anything so far. I can’t tell anyone where the next practice session will be.”
When asked about any specific reason behind asking Sonnet to move out of the college grounds, Sharma remarked, “Look, in the college, there is a department of physical education and those who want to practice come here. This is a South College and there is a South Lobby. They didn’t want us to practice here.”
“The former principal of the college, Dr. A. Shankar Reddy, met and tried to convince madam by saying that you are doing it wrong, but she did not listen and said, ‘Now there cannot be practice here’.”
At present, finding a place to practice for the hundred students enrolled under Sonnet is a high priority for Sharma. “Our U-14 team is the best, captained by Vedant Sehwag, Virender Sehwag’s younger son. Veeru’s two boys play in the club under me and he also said, ‘Where will my children play now?’
“Today was the last day and I told the students that ‘I will inform you myself about where the next practice will be’. Otherwise, there is no space yet. Some students were crying in the morning, wondering what would happen next. I told him that God will give us some space; and what if he gives knowledge to madam.
get the latest cricket news, ipl 2023 live score, orange cap And purple cap holder details here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)