Dubai: Rohit Sharma-fronted cricket academy shuts down; parents, unpaid staff in lurch

What began as a dream opportunity for young cricketers to train under the brand name of Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma has turned into a disappointment for around 35 families in Dubai.

Grasport Sports Academy (GSA), launched in September 2024 under the CricKingdom by Rohit Sharma brand, ended operations abruptly in May this year, leaving parents demanding refunds and office staff and coaches unpaid.

Started by Suhas Pudota across four Dubai schools, it enticed parents with promises of world-class training, promoting its affiliation with Rohit Sharma and leveraging CricKingdom’s international reputation.

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“We joined with high expectations because of the Rohit Sharma name,” said Jithil, one of the first to enrol his child. Pratap, a long-time Dubai resident, added, “The marketing was built entirely around Rohit, with his pictures prominently featured during promotions and trials. We thought the brand would ensure quality.”

Signs of trouble emerged in early 2025, with the situation worsening in Term 3 (April–June). Despite full-year fees paid by many, classes became irregular, and by mid-May, the academy had effectively shut down.

“On May 28, parents were informed through WhatsApp by Sushil Sharma, CricKingdom’s global operations head, that Grasport would no longer run the academy and would handle refunds for the remaining sessions,” Jithil said.

Since then, Suhas has repeatedly promised to clear all dues, as seen in chat messages by Khaleej Times, but no payments have materialised, parents claimed.

Coaches, too, were left in distress. Salaries were delayed as early as December 2024, and by May 2025, coaches stopped working altogether. “I have no money to pay my rent, and my landlord has asked me to vacate the room. I have nowhere to go,” said assistant coach Tiran Sandun Wijesuriya. “I haven’t been paid since May. I pleaded with him multiple times, but all I received were empty promises,” Tiran said, sharing proof of their conversations.

CricKingdom appointed the coaching team after interviews conducted by Sushil, who flew in from the company’s Singapore HQ. They hired six ICC-certified coaches, including former international cricketers. Sushil stayed closely involved, regularly checking in with staff and coaches and monitoring operations.

Assistant coach Ayo Mene Ejegi, who played for the Serbian and Nigerian cricket teams, said he is struggling financially, having not received his salary since April. “I stopped asking… He kept reassuring me, but nothing came of it,” he said.

Coach Chamani Seneviratne, a former Sri Lankan player, said she flagged salary issues to Sushil but got no resolution. “Since I joined in September 2024, I have faced issues with salary transfers. Sometimes, I wasn’t paid in full, and since May, the payments have stopped entirely. Almost every week, I ask Suhas to transfer at least a partial amount,” Chamani said.

How it all unravelled

Grasport was operating under a franchise agreement with CricKingdom signed on July 30, 2024. But CricKingdom CEO Chetan Suryawanshi now claims that Suhas failed to pay monthly dues beyond the initial one-time amount. An invoice raised on October 1 remains unsettled despite multiple extensions.

“During a subsequent call, Grasport requested time until December to make the payment,” Chetan told Khaleej Times. “In January (2025), management considered terminating the agreement due to non-payment. However, after receiving positive feedback from parents and coaches, we decided to give them another chance.

“By the first week of March, coaches reported they had still not been paid. Upon escalation — and after sending a closure email on March 14 — Mr Suhas cited financial difficulties and requested time until April to settle the dues. He later requested yet another extension.”

In an email seen by Khaleej Times, CricKingdom instructed Grasport in March to immediately cease using Rohit Sharma’s images and the CricKingdom name until all outstanding payments were settled.

By the end of April, Suhas had left the UAE. In a statement to Khaleej Times, he said, “Like everyone, I came to Dubai with a lot of dreams to expand our business in the Middle East. We had an amazing start. From August to January, sessions went well, though the costs were very high. We had planned for the long term, but rental was a major burden: around Dh50,000 per month. I should have made the financial forecast, which we lacked.”

He acknowledged missteps, including maintaining two non-performing academies which ran up costs, making the situation unsustainable by February. By the time he returned to April to try and raise funds, Suhas said it was too late, and they had to shut operations.

New academy

To address the crisis, Chetan flew to Dubai on May 21. Discussions with ESM, the local sports facilities provider, confirmed missed payments and restrictions to access facilities. ESM’s operations director, David Robinson, declined to confirm this, citing confidentiality.

On May 28, on a WhatsApp group with parents, Suhas agreed to settle the dues and assured Sushil that all payments would be cleared by June 30.

On May 29, Sushil addressed the parents’ group, outlining CricKingdom’s plans to open a separate academy and commitment to continue operations independently.

Despite stating it had no control over daily operations, CricKingdom acknowledged the reputational damage caused by its association with Grasport. It terminated its agreement with Grasport on June 30, citing unpaid dues and unauthorised use of Rohit Sharma’s images.

For many parents who chose the academy for their children based on the promise of quality cricket training under a respected brand, the experience has turned sour. Some have since filed complaints with Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DED). One parent, Deep, said DED informed him on July 4 that Grasport’s licence and bank accounts were frozen, with investigations ongoing.

In his statement to Khaleej Times, Suhas said: “I should have planned the financials better according to the UAE market, of which I should’ve had better awareness. I intend to return everyone’s pending payments within a week and close all financial matters.”

CricKingdom is now working to register a new company in the UAE, with plans to resume training in September. “We have assured (parents) that fees will either be refunded or adjusted,” Chetan said. A few staff in Dubai have been offered roles in India until local operations are restored.

But the academy faces the challenge of rebuilding trust. Khaleej Times spoke to at least a dozen parents, many of whom expressed deep frustration and disappointment. “CricKingdom has only offered assurances of refunds,” said Indrajit, a parent.

“We’re tired of the apologies and assurances,” said another parent. “We just want accountability.” 

Ajanta Paul

Ajanta Paul is a Senior Editor on the Digital team. A natural leader and newshound, she thrives in b…Read More