Rupesh Borade to train in Durham

MUMBAI: For someone who has come up the hard way, it would be nothing short of a dream, travelling to England for three weeks to hone his cricketing skills, and at the same time get an insight into the schooling system that prevails there.
Fifteen-year-old Rupesh Borade will be doing exactly that over the coming days when he travels to Durham, thanks largely to the efforts of Cricket Beyond Boundaries (CBB), a charity that has been facilitating short-term exposure trips for young and promising cricketers from India, and former Mumbai opener Sahil Kukreja.
Borade, an all-rounder, is coached by Kukreja at a modest facility in Chembur. "I began training boys from the Children's Home, Mankhurd about three years ago and it's been very satisfying. All of them have had to deal with lots of difficulties at such a young age. Rupesh is a very talented player, and we hope he will learn a lot on this trip," said Kukreja.
The exchange scheme is spearheaded by former England Universities cricketer and surgeon, Dr Samir Pathak. CBB will cover the costs of Borade's trip. Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who has sent three boys to the UK under Dr Pathak's guidance, said: "The charity is doing a tremendous job supporting grassroots cricket. I was delighted to aid Sahil through the logistical side of things so that Rupesh could get his visa."
During his stay in the UK, Borade will attend academic classes in the morning and will harness his cricketing skills by training and playing in a series of matches during the afternoons at Durham College, which is one of UK's finest educational institutions.
Dr Pathak said, "It is a delight to host Rupesh. We hope he benefits from the opportunity given to him. We hope to offer more opportunities to promising youngsters in the years to come."