INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE (IPL) franchise Delhi Capitals has expanded its international cricket development footprint by launching its first academy in Saudi Arabia, establishing a new training centre in Jeddah in partnership with JSC Sports. The initiative marks the franchise’s entry into the Middle East and further strengthens its growing global academy network.
The Delhi Capitals Cricket Academy will operate from Jeddah through a collaboration with JSC Sports, which runs the city’s first international cricket academy. The centre currently trains more than 50 boys and girls between the ages of five and 17 across four development categories and aims to provide a structured pathway for aspiring cricketers in the Kingdom.
Under the partnership, Delhi Capitals will implement its coaching curriculum and player development programme at the Jeddah facility. Young cricketers will have access to ICC-certified coaches, high-performance training methods, performance monitoring systems, specialised coaching tools and player exchange opportunities designed to expose them to international coaching standards.
With the launch, Saudi Arabia becomes the fifth overseas destination in Delhi Capitals’ academy network. The franchise now operates seven academies across India and six international centres spanning the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States and Saudi Arabia, reflecting its long-term strategy of building a globally connected cricket development ecosystem.
JSC Sports has already played an important role in developing cricket within the Kingdom, with 10 of its trainees having represented Saudi Arabia in various national age-group teams. The organisation believes the partnership with Delhi Capitals will provide local players with access to professional coaching and clearer pathways to higher levels of the game.
The expansion comes amid Saudi Arabia’s broader investment in sport under its Vision 2030 programme, which has seen the Kingdom invest heavily in infrastructure, elite competitions and grassroots development across multiple disciplines. Cricket has become an increasingly important part of that strategy, supported by the country’s large South Asian expatriate population and growing domestic participation.
