Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravi Ashwin, Robin Singh — and now Rohit Sharma. Dubai seems to be developing a reputation for cricket academies endorsed by illustrious names failing to sustain themselves, with the latest casualty being the centre named after the ‘Hitman’, which has shut its doors across four schools less than a year after launching.
CricKingdom, a Singapore-based company operating a global chain of Rohit Sharma academies, had partnered with Grasport Sports Academy — a local franchise holder — promising top-quality coaching for children of the Indian diaspora. The Rohit Sharma brand initially worked like magic to attract trainees, until Grasport suddenly ceased operations, citing financial distress. The abrupt closure has left parents scrambling for refunds and coaches and office staff unpaid.
Parents were informed via WhatsApp groups that Grasport would no longer run the academy and would process refunds for unfulfilled sessions — a promise yet to be honoured.
Warning signs appeared early this year, worsening during Term 3 (April–June). Despite many parents having paid full-year fees, sessions became increasingly irregular, and by mid-May, the academy had effectively closed. Coach Chamani Seneviratne, a former Sri Lankan player, said she had repeatedly flagged unpaid salaries to Sushil Sharma, CricKingdom’s global operations head, but received no resolution.
CricKingdom later issued a statement describing the closure as only a pause, promising to relaunch operations in a new avatar from September.
“We understand the importance of providing a consistent, high-quality cricketing environment and remain fully committed to restoring and continuing our academy’s presence in the UAE. CricKingdom is in the process of legally forming a new company in the UAE to directly oversee operations, bringing enhanced infrastructure, certified coaches, and a renewed focus on student development,” the statement said.
This is not the first time Dubai has witnessed such high-profile ventures fizzle out. Back in 2016, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, then at the peak of his career, launched his first signature centre at Springdale Academy in collaboration with local partners. Soon after, Ravi Ashwin’s Chennai-based GenNext Cricket Academy joined hands with Kings’ Schools in Dubai — both have since folded.
The problem is two-fold. Firstly, none of the big names have shown the accountability to visit their flagship academies after the inauguration — let alone every few months. The franchise owners who sign MoUs with these celebrity-backed companies soon find the economics of license fees, facility rentals, and coaches’ salaries unsustainable.
Echoing the sentiment, a veteran Dubai-based academy owner said such failures have become routine: “I haven’t seen any of these big-name projects take off in the long term. Stars like Dhoni and Ashwin have made only fleeting appearances. Even Robin Singh, who stayed in Dubai when he coached the UAE, saw his venture collapse.”
Parents are sometimes too gullible. They pay hefty fees expecting personal attention from these stars. Disappointment sets in quickly, they pull out their children, and franchise owners are left to cover all expenses. In the long run, sustainability becomes impossible.
Mazhar Khan, a long-serving administrator of the Sharjah Cricket Council, believes there is already a strong grassroots ecosystem in the UAE:
“The Sharjah Cricket Academy, started in 1984, has groomed several national players. There are committed local coaches in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi who have proven their dedication over decades. Running academies by remote control — lending a big name but relying on locals to do all the work — simply doesn’t work.”
