The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is introducing artificial intelligence into its player development programme through a partnership with Singapore-based sports technology company Level Up Sportslytics, becoming the first cricket association to adopt AI-assisted coaching, according to a report by The Indian Express.
The initiative will be implemented at the Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), where the technology will help coaches assess player techniques and identify areas for improvement.
The association is initially testing the system through a pilot project, with feedback from coaches and players expected to determine its effectiveness and potential wider use.
How AI will transform cricket coaching at the MCA
The new system uses four cameras positioned at different angles around each practice pitch to capture batting and bowling movements during training sessions.
Coaches will be able to access player-specific performance information through an application, allowing them to examine particular technical aspects of a player’s game without manually reviewing extensive footage.
For example, a coach assessing a batter’s back-foot technique can search for the relevant player and retrieve detailed analysis of their movements. The technology is also designed to support bowling assessments, ball tracking and performance monitoring.
The system is intended to supplement conventional coaching by making technical analysis more accessible and reducing the time required to review individual performances.
Ajinkya Naik outlines MCA’s technology strategy
MCA President Ajinkya Naik has positioned the initiative as part of the association’s efforts to modernise its training methods and explore how emerging technology can improve player development.
Naik said in a statement: “We need to change as per the time. Technology has played an important role behind the scene and it’s showing us what it can do to reach any goal. We are trying to adopt AI in our daily nets session and we will see how it benefits our coaches and players to excel. It’s just a pilot project now. We will be taking feedback from coaches and players on how it has helped them.”
Level Up Sportslytics presented its technology to the MCA in August 2026, with the association subsequently moving forward with a trial to assess its practical application in training.
The partnership marks a move towards integrating data-led performance analysis into the association’s existing coaching structure, while retaining coaches’ responsibility for interpreting the information and guiding players.
Level Up Sportslytics sees potential to expand coaching capacity
Level Up Sportslytics Founder and CEO Sitanshu Dash believes the MCA’s decision to implement AI-assisted training could provide an example for other cricket organisations considering similar technology.
Dash said in a statement: “Across India and around the world, everyone in cricket is interested in AI. Far fewer are willing to put their weight behind a technology and say: we will implement it, and we will take our coaching to the next level.”
The company’s platform is designed to help coaching teams work more efficiently by automating aspects of performance analysis and providing information that can be accessed beyond individual training sessions.
Dash said the technology could substantially increase the number of players a coach can monitor and support, while allowing coaches to concentrate more of their time on instruction and development.
He added in a statement: “With this technology, we believe a coach’s reach can grow anywhere from 20 to 100 times. This AI will assist coaches virtually. It is a tool in the coach’s hands, so they can do more with less of their time. The questions the MCA coaches asked today, about the technology and about coaching, show why the Mumbai Cricket Association is one of the crown jewels of Indian cricket. They are a level up above everybody else.”
The MCA will assess the technology’s impact through its ongoing pilot at the Sharad Pawar Indoor Cricket Academy, using input from coaches and players to evaluate how effectively AI-assisted analysis can be incorporated into regular training.
