Author: Gary Nager

Former Pro Cricketer Says He Is Training The U.S. National Team’s Stars Of The Future! 

I’ll be honest — I don’t understand the sport known as cricket. I know it is similar to baseball, in that it has pitchers, called “bowlers,” catchers called “wicket-keepers” and hitters, called “batsmen,” and that the object of the game is to score more runs than the other team. 

But, how the teams score runs, how they record outs (there are three different ways) and why the batsmen run while still holding their bats after hitting the ball are all mysteries to yours truly. Even so, it is still a super-exciting game to watch, whether live or on TV. 

Fortunately for anyone in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and the entire Tampa Bay area whose child is interested in learning how to play cricket like the pros, Vishal Jain, a former pro cricketer, from the Indian capital of Mumbai, is now available to teach kids ages 8 and older all of the fundamental techniques and rules of this hugely popular sport. Jain’s Excel Cricket Academy meets every Saturday and Sunday on Field #2 at the Wesley Chapel District Park, which also hosted a cricket tournament the day I visited. And, Jain says, he hopes to be able to one day teach kids how to play cricket at the City of Tampa park now being designed that will one day open in K-Bar Ranch. 

(Note-Although the city budgeted the money to design the park in K-Bar [which also will include other facilities, in addition to a cricket pitch], the necessary funds to build it are not yet in the city’s budget.) 

Jain has all the credentials anyone who wants their child to learn how to play cricket could possibly want. He played for both Mumbai and Goa and won India’s premier first-class cricket tournament, known as the Ranji Trophy, which was named for K.S. Ranjitsinhji, the first Indian to play Test cricket. The Ranji Trophy is India’s oldest and most prestigious domestic red-ball competition, with Mumbai being the most successful team historically, having won the prestigious trophy more than 40 times. 

Jain was trained by the esteemed Ramakant Achrekar, the legendary coach of Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as the biggest icon in the history of the sport — which will be played for the first time since 1900 as a medal sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. And, in addition to playing cricket at the highest level, Jain (who also owns Excel Cricket Academies in Mumbai) also has been the head coach of the Mumbai Central Zone U19 and U23 teams. 

His bio on the “Excel Cricket Academy Tampa Florida USA” Facebook page says, “Known for his expertise in diverse coaching methodologies, Coach Vishal is dedicated to helping players unlock their full potential. His approach emphasizes mindset, discipline and continuous learning, incorporating personalized training, workshops and motivational sessions.” 

He also has battle scars on his hands and arms, from fielding the balls hit with the heavy cricket bats bare-handed. Only the batsmen and wicket-keepers usually wear gloves in cricket. 

All I can tell you, after watching one practice with his younger Excel Academy group, he definitely has the attention and admiration of not only his young athletes, but also of their parents, many of whom travel from Brandon and as far away as St. Petersburg to have their children trained by Jain. 

And, it was immediately obvious why. While “bowling” the harder-than-baseball balls to each Academy student, he not only told but also showed each one how to execute a defensive “shot” one moment, how to drive the ball the next and which foot to focus their weight on for each batting maneuver. 

And, the kids and parents all really seemed to love him, and he certainly seemed to be in complete control of them, without ever raising his voice. When he tried to get his younger players all to pose for the picture above and some of them were acting up, all he had to do was point at them and say “Discipline” and they all got the message. Super impressive. 

“And, if they ever still don’t listen, I will pack up their stuff, bring it over to their parents and tell them to take them home and come back next week. They get so embarrassed I’ve never had to do that to the same player twice.” 

Training Future U.S. National Stars 

It’s clear that virtually all of the young players Jain coaches are of Indian descent, but the Excel Cricket Academy is open to anyone who wants to learn the proper way to play this sport that continues to grow in popularity here. 

“The U.S. National Team is one of eight teams (India, Australia, England, Afghanistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and the West Indies are the others) that qualified for the 2026 [ICC Men’s T20] World Cup,” Jain says. “In other words, cricket is growing in this country and I want to train the future stars of the sport here.” 

And, best of all, he says, there are no set fees to train with Coach Vishal — who also offers individual coaching sessions for those who want them. “The parents usually agree to an amount to each pay me (for the team sessions),” he says. “I’ve already made money playing cricket. All I want now is to find and train the best players I can and help each one reach his or her potential.” 

For more info about Excel Cricket Academy, call (813) 523-5871, email Coach Vishal at excelcricketacademytampa@gmail.com or stop by the Wesley Chapel District Park, Field #2 (7727 Boyette Rd.) any Sat., 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Small Kids 10-11:30; Leather Ball Kids 11:30- 1:30) or Sun., 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (Small Kids 8-9:30; Leather Ball Kids 9:30-11:30).