Coach Corner : Sumeet Khanna | No substitute for perseverance

Discipline, Devotion, and Determination are the three D’s that define Coach Sumeet Khanna. Since the last 17 years, Sumeet has been actively associated with cricket, both in terms of playing as well as coaching.
Khanna’s journey started in the year 2000, when he first started practicing at Shiv Seva Cricket Academy in Borivali, Mumbai. In search of better opportunities, he joined Payyade Sports Club (Kandivali, Mumbai) as a wicket-keeper batsman, under the able aegis of Sanjay Gaitonde. Since then there was no looking back. Soon he found himself playing the Kanga league and various other renowned tournaments. Sumeet represented one of the most reputed clubs of Mumbai; Dadar Parsee Zoroastrian Cricket Club (B division) for a period of five years. My talent was recognized as I played some good knocks and displayed my safe wicket-keeping abilities against some of the veteran Mumbai players.

Playing cricket looks glamorous from outside but when you are inside it, the harsh reality hits you. Sumeet Khanna was doing well as a player for his team but not enough financially for his larger team i.e. his family. To make a living from cricket, Sumeet started with cricket coaching and it was again his former coach Sanjay Gaitonde played a pivotal role in offering him coaching opportunities. Gaitonde sent Khanna to CPCC (Chandrakant Pandit Cricket Clinic) in Andheri, Mumbai. There he a lot about the basics of cricket coaching and the essential pre-requisites to coach and train the young cricketers. After seeking useful guidance from Chandrakant Pandit Sumeet’s journey as a cricket coach commenced in 2006. He was doing well as a coach which was evident from the fact that few of his players got selected for MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) camps.

Apart from his regular coaching, Sumeet was blessed to work under Monty Desai. Monty Desai who has worked with  IPL teams like Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions, helped Sumeet in various ways. Monty was also instrumental in bringing Sumeet to Venus Sports Academy where he trained the young and budding U-14 boys.      

In the year 2015, Sumeet successfully cleared the Level 0 coaching exam and since then he is associated as a coach with MCA (U-16 team). Recently he became the coach of Ritambhara College, Juhu, Mumbai. Under his coaching, the team is performing well.

Sumeet averred, “I am totally into cricket. In all this years, I have never been late to practice or for coaching. I am always on the ground on time. I think one has to be disciplined and punctual in life to achieve success. Coaching young and talented players and helping them to get ready for the next level of cricket has got the better of me”.  

Currently Sumeet is playing for Islam Gymkhana and is also the coach at Payyade Sports Club. Cricketgraph wishes Sumeet Khanna all the very best for his future endeavours and may he achieve success, both, as a player and as a coach.