Meet Jacintha Kalyan, India's First Female Cricket Pitch Curator

Although not a cricketer, Jacintha Kalyan is ruling the green fields at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium as the first female pitch curator of India. She has been associated with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for over three decades, starting her career as a receptionist and then went on to manage administrative duties, then accounts, and is now overseeing preparations for the pitches at the ongoing Women's Premier League 2024.

While Kalyan is not a player, her achievement is a big win for women in the sports landscape. As the mastermind behind the pitch, Kalyan is making history as a trailblazer and working a cool job that many would dream of.

Who Is Jacintha Kalyan?

Jacintha Kalyan is the first female pitch curator in the history of Indian cricket. Originally from Harobele, a village 80 kilometres away from Bengaluru, the 49-year-old left her family of paddy farmers almost 30 years ago to start her career in a management role. Kalyan started working as a receptionist at the Karnataka State Cricket Association.

In 2014, Kalyan was asked to oversee the ground staff at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium upon the recommendation of former Test player and the then KSCA secretary, Brijesh Patel. “I was like a kindergarten student among college students. I didn’t know anything. But I was interested in learning. After Brijesh sir put in a word, PS Vishwanath sir and K Sriram sir (both curators) took me under their wings and started sharing their knowledge,” she told The Indian Express.

Coming from an agricultural background, she was a quick learner in understanding the grass, soil, and water maintenance of the pitch. "Although both farming and being a curator involve science, I have learnt that both are totally different. With farming, once you do the right things, it will grow on its own. This is a little tough, however, a job you do it with full love," she added. 

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Kalyan explained how she learnt on the job and then in 2018, appeared for the curator exam and passed. In the 2023-24 domestic season, Kalyan was assigned as a neutral curator for the Ranji Trophy. She had overseen the pitch preparations at Pondicherry, Goa and Kerala before she got the call to do the same for the ongoing WPL 2024.