Sunday marked a sorrowful day for cricket enthusiasts in Delhi as the iconic Sonnet Cricket Club was forced to vacate its long-standing base at Sri Venkateswara College. The Sonnet Club, which was established in 1969 under the guidance of the Dronacharya awardee coach, Tarak Sinha, has been responsible for nurturing over a dozen Indian cricketers, as well as several players who have represented various states in domestic circuits.
The Sonnet Club initially operated out of the Birla School in Kamla Nagar, before it was relocated to several other locations, including Ajmal Khan Park in Karol Bagh, DCM Ground, PGDAV College, Rajdhani College, and Piknic Hut, before finally settling down at Sri Venkateswara College. However, the club has now found itself without a home, with no space for the current crop of students to train and develop their cricketing skills.
Confirming the development, Devendra Sharma, who has been a long-time coach at Sonnet Club, expressed his disappointment at the turn of events. Sharma, who played 14 first-class matches for Delhi, expressed his concerns about the future of the club, which is now shrouded in uncertainty.
“Our last practice session here was held today. When there is a change in management, new people often come in, some of whom may be sports enthusiasts, while others may not be. We have been practising here for the past 22 years. Today, the Principal informed us that April 30 would be our last day here,” Sharma revealed.
Sharma added that he was unsure about the club’s future and the fate of the current students who will now be unable to practice and hone their skills due to the lack of a proper facility.
“Today, I completed my last practice session at the club, and all the students were asking me where we would practice next. I had to tell them that I don’t have any space right now. If the college allows us to practice here, we will definitely continue doing so. However, it seems that the Principal isn’t interested in us practicing here anymore. We weren’t given any explanation as to why we were being asked to leave, despite paying our dues on time. We had no issues with the management or the Principal; we simply came here to practice,” Sharma explained.
The Sonnet Cricket Club has been an integral part of Delhi’s cricketing landscape for over five decades, and it is hoped that the club will soon find a new home where it can continue to nurture young cricketing talent and produce future stars of the game.
