G Force Cricket Academy launches an Indian arm at its own ground in Rajkot during its 53rd cricket tour

By K.R. Nayar
From Rajkot 

G Force, the Dubai-based cricket academy renowned for its innovative initiatives to groom young cricketers and create facilities that fuel the passion for the game, is spreading its wings. Marking a significant milestone in its remarkable journey, the academy has launched its operations in India on its own ground in Rajkot, in collaboration with the prestigious Rajkot Gymkhana Club, one of the country’s oldest cricket institutions, established in 1894.

 

The launch of G Force Cricket Academy in Rajkot 

The inauguration of the ground and training facilities took place on December 20, 2025, during the ongoing 53rd cricket tour of the G Force Cricket Academy. The occasion was graced by Rajkot Gymkhana Club members Harishchandrasinhji Jadeja, Vipulbhai Kamdar, KS Arjunsinh Jadeja, Harishbhai Hinduja, Jaydeep Vora, and former Saurashtra and India-Under-19 player Sudhir Tanna, lending the event both tradition and stature.

A new landmark being inaugurated by Harishchandrasinhji Jadeja of  Rajkot Gymkhana Club

At the heart of this achievement is Gopal Jasapara, the head coach of G Force Cricket Academy, whose tireless journey of over 25 years has been driven by a singular vision — to reach out to as many aspiring cricketers as possible across the globe. 

 

Former Saurashtra and India-Under-19 player Sudhir Tanna inaugurates the training facilities 

The scale of that commitment is evident in the academy’s extraordinary feat of having conducted 53 cricket tours, the highest by any Dubai-based academy. Very rarely has an academy from the Middle East, and from a non-Test-playing nation, carved out such a global footprint and earned such distinction.

 

The opening ceremony at the pitch 

G Force’s special world mark

Situated in the very heart of the city, the G Force ground and academy enjoy a prime and symbolic location. It lies just a stone’s throw from the Rajkot Municipal Corporation building and is a mere five-minute walk from the city’s main bus station, making it both accessible and iconic. For Jasapara, this ground carries deep emotional value. It was here that he learned the nuances of the game as a young boy, honing his skills with dreams. Never did he imagine that one day he would return as the owner of the very ground that shaped his cricketing foundation. 

 

Rajkot Municipal Corporation building close to the stadium 

Today, the facility boasts a turf wicket and four cement wickets for net practice, underlining the academy’s commitment to quality training. During this 12-day tour, matches against various clubs and teams will be played every day, ensuring constant competitive exposure for the players.

 

The capping ceremony 

Such is the stature of the G Force Cricket Academy in the realm of cricket tours that a simple google search for ‘which private cricket academy has toured the most in the world’ places G Force alongside illustrious names such as the Mumbai Cricket Academy, the UK-based City Cricketers Academy, Bruce Adams and Madanlal’s Delhi academy, and the Australia-based Adams Cricket Academy. Incidentally, among clubs worldwide, it is the legendary Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) that holds the distinction of touring the most countries.

This ongoing G Force Academy tour to Rajkot comes barely four months after their highly productive 15-day camp at England’s Ardingley College ground, where the boys were coached by Ian Trott, father of former England international Jonathan Trott. Over the years, an impressive roster of internationally acclaimed coaches have conducted clinics, camps, and tours with the academy. The includes renowned cricketers turned coaches such as Gary Kirsten, Jimmy Adams, Graeme Smith, Jonty Rhodes, Pravin Amre, T A Sekar, Ashish Kapoor, S. Sriram, Akash Chopra, Karsan Ghavri, Munaf Patel, and Vinayak Sawant, who has represented Mumbai in an astounding 101 Ranji Trophy matches. The legendary late Ramakant Achrekar, Sachin Tendulkar’s coach, is among the top coaches who have conducted coaching clinics for this academy.

 

G Force Academy cricketers line up before the start 

Consistently forming the backbone of many G Force tours are Oman international player-turned-coach Rajesh Ranpura, and Kiran Patel who continues to defy age at 70 and still competes in over-50s tournaments and trains youngsters with devotion. Vijaykumar from Dubai and Ravi Bariya from Mumbai are also here as part of the coaching contingent. 

 

G Force's Neil Siddharth ... the star performer of the opening day

The celebratory capping ceremony was followed by an inaugural match, where G Force Academy produced a confident performance to defeat Rajkot’s Universal Cricket Academy by six wickets. Stealing the spotlight was G Force’s Neil Siddharth, who played a scintillating knock of 87 runs off 70 balls, laced with 15 boundaries, underlining the academy’s philosophy of fearless and fluent cricket.