Cricket Club of India

Brabourne Stadium houses the CCI in Mumbai

Cricket Club of India (CCI) is located on Dinsha Wacha Road, near Churchgate in Mumbai, India. It is one of the oldest and most well known cricket clubs in India. It was conceived as India's Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is every bit as exclusive and luxurious as the MCC.^[1][2]

History

CCI logo

On 8 November 1933, the Cricket Club of India was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee with its registered office in New Delhi. As the name suggests, the principal object of the company was to promote sports in general and cricket in particular throughout the country. The promoters and some leading men who founded BCCI five years before were the promoters of the Club. Originally, life members, who were later termed as founder members, paid Rs 100 and ordinary members paid Rs 10 for entrance and an annual subscription of Rs 15 . The CCI is one of the 30 members of the BCCI, the governing body of cricket in India. ^[3]

The Cricket Club of India was also the birthplace of the famous Chinese-style dish Chicken Manchurian; restaurateur Nelson Wang, who claims to have invented it at the request of a customer in 1975 while working at the CCI as a cook.^[4]

Facilities

Main lobby of the club with a replica of the Ranji Trophy in the centre

The CCI also houses in the Brabourne Stadium, which the club owns. ^[2] The CCI is an affiliated member of the BCCI like any other state association, but unlike any one of them, does not conduct cricket in the state. Mumbai Cricket Association and Maharashtra Cricket Association which conduct cricket in Mumbai and rest of Maharashtra respectively. The stadium has one of the best cricket pitches and grounds in the region. It also has tennis courts ^[5], a swimming pool ^[6], fitness centers, a billiards room, squash courts, badminton courts, table tennis tables, cafes, bars, a library, a reading room and a banquet hall ^[7].It is very difficult to get membership into this exclusive club.^[8]

The stadium also serves as the headquarters of the BCCI, the governing body of Indian cricket.^[9]

Kingfisher Open

The Mens Doubles finals in 2007

In 2006 and 2007, the CCI tennis courts were the stage for the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open, an ATP Tour tournament, previously held in Shanghai from 1995 to 2004 and in Vietnam in 2005. ^[10][5]Kingfisher Airlines were the official sponsors. The tournament was presented by the Government of Maharashtra, India. The tournament was played from 25 September 2006 to 2 October 2006.

ICC Champions trophy

The Cricket Club of India Limited staged 5 matches of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2006 including the final between Australia and West Indies played on 5 November 2006. ^[11]

Notes

1. ^ Bose, Mihir (2006). The magic of Indian cricket. Routledge. p. 102. ISBN 0415356911. http://books.google.com/?id=X8HQiMvK-bYC&dq=. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai". Hindustan Times. http://www.hindustandainik.com/htcricket/8122_1807150,001601370008.htm. Retrieved 2006-10-27. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "In cricket, too, Cong and NCP take on BJP". 21 September 2004. http://www.indianexpress.com/oldStory/55559/. Retrieved 9 April 2011. 
4. ^ Bhagat, Rasheeda (2007-05-04). "Taste and disdain: A tour of the country's interesting eating habits with a roving journalist". The Hindu. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2007/05/04/stories/2007050400070200.htm. Retrieved 2010-04-21. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "From French toast to French tennis". The Hindu. September 24, 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/24/stories/2007092461202000.htm. Retrieved March 04, 2011. 
6. ^ Catharine Wells (2001). East with ENSA: entertaining the troops in the second world war. http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Ku15LKk2_DAC&pg=: The Radcliffe Press. pp. 93. ISBN 1860647189. 
7. ^ "Nicolas Kiefer’s reverse number". The Hindu. September 23, 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/23/stories/2007092356421600.htm. Retrieved March 04, 2011. 
8. ^ "New clubs on the block". Daily News and Analysis. http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/urban-tales_new-clubs-on-the-block_1142189-all. Retrieved 2009-06-17. 
9. ^ "A day of speculations, wild goose chase for media". earthtimes.org. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/48285.html. Retrieved 2007-04-05. 
10. ^ "ATP moves event from Mumbai to Bangalore". United Press International. May 20, 2008. http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2008/05/20/UPI-NewsTrack-Sports/UPI-58811211318100/. Retrieved March 04, 2011. 
11. ^ "BCCI's plan to boost other sports: Four venues confirmed". The Hindu. 2006-04-10. http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/10/stories/2006041006451900.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-17. 

External links

• Official site
• Kingfisher Open 2006
• Kids Cricket Club Kerala