If you told cricket fans in India that an IPL veteran, a Pakistan international fast bowler, a first-class batsman, and a Punjab U-19 captain were all coaching at a facility in Elkton, Maryland, they’d probably think you were joking. But that’s exactly what’s happening at LevelUP Sports, home of BRSS Cricket Academy, the largest cricket academy in North America.

Here’s how four elite cricketers ended up in a small town in Cecil County, and why they believe American cricket is on the verge of something big.

Sarbjeet Ladda: From the IPL to Maryland

Sarbjeet Ladda’s cricket resume reads like fiction. He played in the Indian Premier League for Kolkata Knight Riders, Gujarat Lions, and Delhi Daredevils. He won the Major League Cricket (MLC) Championship. He’s competed against some of the greatest players in cricket history.

So what’s he doing in Elkton?

“I’ve seen what proper coaching does at the grassroots level,” Ladda says. “In India, the academy system produces world-class players because kids get access to experienced coaches early. America has the athletes. What it doesn’t have, yet, is the coaching infrastructure. That’s what we’re building here.”

Ladda’s specialty is batting technique. He works with academy players on the mental and technical sides of batting, drawing on years of experience facing international-caliber bowling. His sessions are intense, precise, and built around match situations rather than mindless repetition.

Muhammad Asif: Pakistan’s Gift to American Fast Bowling

Muhammad Asif represented Pakistan at the international level as a fast bowler. If you know cricket, you know that Pakistani fast bowling is a tradition unlike any other in the sport. From Imran Khan to Wasim Akram to Waqar Younis, Pakistan has produced the most feared pace attacks in cricket history.

Asif brings that lineage to his coaching. He doesn’t just teach kids to bowl fast. He teaches them to bowl smart: seam position, wrist angle, how to set up a batsman over three or four deliveries, how to generate swing in different conditions.

“Fast bowling is an art,” Asif explains. “Speed without control is useless. I teach young bowlers to think like a fast bowler, not just run in and throw their arm over.”

His coaching has already produced measurable results. Several academy bowlers have increased their pace by 8-12 mph within a single season while improving their accuracy, a combination that most coaching programs struggle to achieve.

Ravi Inder Singh Mehra: First-Class Technique, Grassroots Heart

Ravi Inder Singh Mehra played first-class cricket in India as a batsman. First-class cricket is the level just below international. To put that in American sports terms, it’s like playing Triple-A baseball. You’re competing against current and future international players every match.

Mehra’s coaching strength is technical batting, particularly for young players building their fundamentals. He has an eye for small flaws in grip, stance, and backlift that most coaches miss entirely.

“The difference between a good batsman and a great one is usually one or two small technical details,” Mehra says. “My job is to find those details early, before they become habits that are hard to fix.”

He works extensively with the academy’s youngest players, ages 8-12, where getting the technical foundation right has the biggest long-term impact. Parents consistently point to Mehra as the coach who made cricket click for their kids.

Rajit Passey: The Visionary Behind BRSS

Rajit Passey captained Punjab at the U-19 level in India, which is one of the most competitive age-group cricket environments in the world. After his playing career, he turned to building cricket infrastructure in the United States. He owns the Baltimore Royals cricket team and founded BRSS Cricket Academy with a specific mission: make world-class cricket coaching accessible in America.

“When I came to the U.S., I saw thousands of talented young athletes who had never held a cricket bat,” Passey recalls. “I also saw immigrant families whose kids loved cricket but had nowhere to train properly. BRSS exists to solve both problems.”

Passey assembled the coaching staff personally, recruiting Ladda, Asif, and Mehra based on their playing credentials and, more importantly, their ability to connect with young players. He runs the academy’s player development pathway, which maps out progression from absolute beginner to competitive-level cricketer.

What Makes This Coaching Staff Different

Most youth cricket coaching in America is done by enthusiastic parents or club-level players. There’s nothing wrong with that passion, but the technical depth just isn’t there. Having coaches who’ve competed at the IPL, international, and first-class levels means your child is learning technique that’s been tested against the best players in the world.

It’s the difference between learning guitar from someone who plays at local bars versus someone who’s toured with a major band. Both can teach you the basics. But the depth of knowledge, the ability to diagnose subtle problems, and the understanding of what it takes to reach the top level are on a completely different plane.

The Pathway from Academy to Competitive Cricket

BRSS doesn’t just run coaching sessions. The academy has a structured development pathway that moves players from beginner training through competitive match play and into representative cricket (state and national age-group teams).

Multiple academy players have been selected for state-level representative teams. The long-term vision is to produce players who can compete at the national and, eventually, international level. With USA Cricket now an ICC Associate Member and T20 World Cup participant, the pathway from academy cricket to the national team is more real than it’s ever been.

Want to see these coaches in action? Visit the BRSS Cricket Academy page for session schedules and pricing, or learn more about LevelUP Sports. You can also explore the full cricket program to see everything that’s available.