Piyush Chawla Backs Young Cricketers at TSH Kanpur, Pledges Annual Mentorship

Kanpur: World Cup-winning cricketer Piyush Chawla expressed his deep connection with the game during a press conference at ‘The Sports Hub’ (TSH) in Kanpur, stating, “Cricket is my life, and I love it deeply. From playing on the field, I've now moved to the commentary box—but my dedication remains the same.”

Chawla, originally from Uttar Pradesh, vowed to promote cricket across India and support emerging talent. He announced that he would visit TSH annually to guide and mentor aspiring cricketers.

TSH Director Praneet Agarwal revealed that the academy is currently training 100 underprivileged children, with hostel facilities provided to 40 of them. He emphasized that learning from legends like Chawla offers invaluable inspiration and knowledge, and more such camps are in the pipeline.

Former international cricketer Shashikant Khandekar also graced the event. Chawla paid him heartfelt tribute, saying, “I grew up under Khandekar Sir’s guidance. Today, it's a proud moment to see children training under his leadership at TSH.”

Speaking about TSH’s offerings, Chawla praised the infrastructure, calling it top-tier and incredibly affordable. “For just ₹12,000, the academy provides hostel, food, and training—it's almost free. I’ve seen 8–10 players here who will definitely make a name for themselves.”

He also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their positive approach towards sports and urged that TSH-like complexes should be developed in more cities to provide quality training to youth nationwide.

Addressing the future of Indian cricket, Chawla commented on concerns post-Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's era. “The ongoing India-England Test match has already shown how talented our new generation is. Team India is in safe hands with this promising pool of players,” he affirmed.