Cricket Training Schedule for Under-16 Players: Complete Weekly Plan

At 15, Virat Kohli was waking up before sunrise to train at the Rajkumar Sharma academy in Delhi — sometimes twice a day, juggling school, travel on local trains, and hours of net practice. Yashasvi Jaiswal left his home in Uttar Pradesh at age 11, slept in a tent near Azad Maidan in Mumbai, and sold pani puri to fund his cricket dreams. Two different stories. One common thread: structure.

What separated Kohli and Jaiswal from hundreds of equally talented boys wasn't just raw ability — it was a disciplined, repeatable training schedule that stacked small improvements day after day. Talent gets you noticed. Structure gets you selected.

If you are an under-16 cricketer — or a parent or coach supporting one — this guide is for you. Inside, you will find a complete 7-day cricket training schedule built around real developmental science, practical drills you can do with or without a ground, and honest advice on nutrition, mental training, and progress tracking. No fluff. No shortcuts. Just a plan that works if you do.

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Understanding the U16 Development Window

Sports scientists call the period between ages 13 and 16 the "windows of accelerated adaptation." Put simply: your body and mind are more responsive to training during these years than at almost any other time in your life. The skills you build now — proper technique, movement patterns, competitive instincts — will form the foundation of everything that comes later.

This is also the phase where the gap between players widens fastest. A 16-year-old who has trained intelligently for three years looks like a completely different cricketer from one who has just played casually. The difference is not talent. It is invested time.

Physical priorities at this age:

During early teenage years, the body is still growing. This means two things. First, you should prioritize movement quality over heavy lifting — ligaments and tendons need time to catch up with bone growth. Second, this is the best time to build coordination, agility, and aerobic capacity, because the nervous system is highly "plastic" and adapts quickly to new movement demands.

Technical priorities at this age:

This is the window to cement your grip, stance, backlift, and bowling action. Bad habits set in teenage years become extremely difficult to undo at 20. Good technique built now becomes automatic. A coach or a trusted senior must watch you regularly — or you must film yourself and watch critically. The batting drills guide on this site goes deep into technique work you can do solo.

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Physical Benchmarks for U16 Cricketers

Before following any schedule, it helps to know where you currently stand. Use these benchmarks as honest reference points — not to judge yourself, but to set targets.

Fitness Test	Beginner	Developing	Match-Ready
30m sprint	Above 5.2 sec	4.8–5.2 sec	Below 4.8 sec
1.5 km run	Above 9 min	7.5–9 min	Below 7.5 min
Standing broad jump	Below 1.6 m	1.6–1.9 m	Above 1.9 m
Push-ups (1 minute)	Below 20	20–35	Above 35
Plank hold	Below 45 sec	45–90 sec	Above 90 sec
Flexibility (sit & reach)	Cannot touch toes	Fingertips to toes	Palms flat on floor

If you are in the "beginner" column across the board, do not be discouraged — this schedule will move you toward match-ready over 8–12 weeks of consistent work. Reassess yourself every four weeks.

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The 7-Day Training Week — Overview

Here is the bird's-eye view before we break down each day in detail.

Day	Focus	Duration	Intensity
Monday	Batting technique + core fitness	75 min	Moderate
Tuesday	Bowling / fielding drills	60 min	Moderate–High
Wednesday	Active recovery + mental training	45 min	Low
Thursday	Match simulation	90 min	High
Friday	Strength and conditioning	60 min	Moderate–High
Saturday	Full practice + video review	90–120 min	High
Sunday	Mental training + complete rest	30 min	Very low

Ground rules before you begin:

• Warm up for 8–10 minutes before every session (light jog, arm circles, dynamic leg swings).
• Cool down and stretch for 5–10 minutes after every session.
• Drink at least 500 ml of water before training and keep sipping throughout.
• Log every session in a notebook or training diary. More on this in the tracking section below.

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Monday: Batting Technique + Core Fitness

Monday sets the tone for the week. The focus is on technique — the quiet, unglamorous work that shows up during Saturday's match simulation.

Morning Session (30 minutes)

Shadow batting + mirror drill

Shadow batting is one of the most underrated drills in cricket. Sachin Tendulkar famously did shadow batting in front of mirrors throughout his career to maintain rhythm. Here is how to do it properly.

Stand in front of a full-length mirror (or film yourself from the side). Go through your full batting sequence:

• 20 reps: Defence — front foot, straight bat, head over the ball
• 20 reps: Cover drive — full stride, bat face open at 45°, follow-through to the sky
• 20 reps: Pull shot — weight back, arms high, pivot through the ball
• 20 reps: Flick off the pads — inside-out wrist rotation, contact in front of the pad
• 10 reps: Cut shot — back foot, horizontal bat, arms away from body

Watch every rep in the mirror or review your phone footage immediately. Ask: Is my head still? Is my front elbow up? Is my backlift straight? These micro-corrections add up fast.

Evening Session (45 minutes)

Net session or home drills (25 min)

If you have net access, spend 20–25 minutes facing throwdowns or the bowling machine. Focus only on one shot per session — do not try to work on everything at once. This week, make it the cover drive.

If you do not have net access, use the wall-ball drill from the batting drills at home guide: mark a target on a wall 5–7 metres away and drive a tennis ball into it repeatedly, focusing on the follow-through.

Core circuit (20 min)

Exercise	Sets	Reps / Duration
Plank	3	30–60 sec
Dead bug	3	10 each side
Russian twists	3	20 reps
Glute bridge	3	15 reps
Side plank	2	20 sec each side

Rest 30 seconds between sets. The core is a cricketer's power transfer engine — from feet to hips to hands. A weak core means leaked power on every shot and every delivery.

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Tuesday: Bowling and Fielding Focus

Every cricketer — regardless of primary role — must be an active fielder. Poor fielding loses matches. Great fielding wins them. And for bowlers, Tuesday is the day to build rhythm and shape.

Bowling Drills (30 minutes)

For pace bowlers:

• 10 min: Run-up rhythm work — mark your full run-up and practice your approach without bowling, focusing on smooth acceleration and a balanced gather at the crease
• 10 min: 20-metre pitch bowling — bowl into a target zone (chalk circle or towel on the ground), focusing on hitting a full length on off stump
• 10 min: Seam position check — bowl 20 balls slowly, focusing entirely on getting the seam upright every delivery

For a comprehensive programme on increasing pace, see the bowling speed training guide.

For spin bowlers:

• 10 min: Finger position and release work — use a cricket ball and practice the release action without a full run-up, standing 2 metres from a wall
• 15 min: Flight and landing zone drills — bowl into a hula hoop or chalk circle on the pitch, practicing overspun and flighted deliveries
• 5 min: Bowling against a batsman (even a mate with a bat) and practising control under mild pressure

Fielding Drills (30 minutes)

Solo or with a partner:

Drill	Duration	Notes
Catching cradle — underarm toss and catch	5 min	Keep eyes on the ball through hands
Ground fielding — slide and throw	10 min	4 cones, sprint between each
High catches — throw ball up, take under pressure	5 min	Call "mine" on every catch aloud
Reaction catches (partner)	10 min	Partner throws from 3m, vary height/direction

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Wednesday: Active Recovery and Mental Training

This is the day players most often want to skip — and the day that separates serious cricketers from casual ones. Recovery is not laziness. It is when your body actually builds the adaptations you trained for Monday and Tuesday.

Active Recovery (20 minutes)

• 5 min light jog or brisk walk
• 10 min full-body static stretching: hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, chest, shoulder, wrist
• 5 min yoga-style breathing: 4 counts in, hold 4, out 6

Shadow Batting Only (10 minutes)

Light touch. No intensity. Twelve slow shadow strokes of each shot, focusing purely on feel and fluidity. No mirror required today — close your eyes and visualise the ball. This is where technique becomes instinct.

Mental Training Session (15 minutes)

The mental game is cricket's least-trained skill and its most decisive one. See the dedicated mental training and visualisation guide for a full programme. For today, use this simple three-step routine:

1. Breathing reset (3 min): Sit quietly and breathe slowly until your mind settles.
2. Match replay (6 min): Replay a recent innings or spell — not the bad moments, but the best ones. A drive that timed perfectly. A delivery that hit the top of off stump. Experience the success in detail.
3. Goals review (6 min): Open your training diary. Read your current goals aloud. Write one specific thing you will improve this week.

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Thursday: Match Simulation

By Thursday, your body is recovered and your mind is sharp. It is time to put technique under pressure, because nothing prepares you for a match like a simulated match environment.

How to Simulate a Match at Home or in the Park

Option 1 — Solo simulation (garden or corridor):

Set up a target zone (a hula hoop or chalk box, 30 cm wide, on a good length). Bowl or throw balls at yourself using a rebound net, or have a family member throw underarm from 5 metres. Give yourself match-like conditions:

• You are facing your first ball of an innings — block it
• Ball 2: Single to mid-off, rotate strike
• Ball 3: Yorker — play it back
• Ball 4: Short ball — duck or pull
• Narrate the game in your head. 6 balls = 1 over. Keep a score.

Option 2 — With teammates:

Organise a 6-over or 10-over tape-ball or tennis-ball game at the park. Treat it like a real match — set fields, discuss bowling changes, review each other afterwards. The match simulation strategies for fitness article covers how to build game-intensity fitness alongside your match simulation.

Thursday homework:

After your session, write down: three things you did well under pressure, and one thing that broke down when the heat came on. This single habit, practised weekly, will transform your self-awareness as a cricketer.

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Friday: Strength and Conditioning

This is a bodyweight-focused circuit designed to build functional cricket strength — the kind that helps you bat for 40 overs, bowl a 10-over spell, or dive full-length in the covers and spring back up.

Full Home Workout Circuit

Warm-up (8 min): Jumping jacks × 30, high knees × 30, arm circles × 20, leg swings × 10 each leg.

Circuit (3 rounds, 40 sec work / 20 sec rest):

Exercise	Muscle Focus	Cricket Benefit
Bodyweight squat	Quads, glutes	Batting power, fielding explosiveness
Push-up	Chest, triceps	Batting drive strength, throwing
Reverse lunge	Glutes, hamstrings	Running between wickets
Pike push-up	Shoulders	Throwing distance and accuracy
Lateral band walk (or side shuffle)	Hip abductors	Change of direction, fielding
Superman hold	Lower back, glutes	Bowling follow-through stability
Mountain climbers	Core, hip flexors	Batting balance, overall endurance
Broad jump + stick landing	Full lower body	Explosive batting foot movement

Cool down (8 min): Hold each stretch for 30 seconds — quad, hamstring, hip flexor, chest, shoulders, wrists.

Rest fully between rounds. If three rounds are too easy, add a fourth. If you cannot complete a round with good form, do two rounds and build up over weeks.

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Saturday: Full Practice and Video Review

Saturday is game day's closest cousin. This is your longest and most intense practice session of the week — and crucially, the day you film yourself.

Full Practice Session (60–90 minutes)

If your academy or club has a practice day, this is it. If not, organise a group session with friends. Use the full session for:

• 20 min net batting (or home drill equivalent)
• 20 min bowling on a proper length
• 20 min fielding (mix of catching, ground balls, and throws)
• 10 min match situation drills (e.g., field a ball, pick up, and hit the stumps from 20m)

How to Film Yourself and What to Look For

Set your phone on a tripod or lean it against a bag at:

• Side-on angle for batting (captures backlift, head position, footwork)
• Behind the stumps for batting (shows bat face, straight bat vs angled)
• Side-on for bowling (captures run-up rhythm, bound, release point, follow-through)

What to look for:

When you review the footage, mute the sound and watch in slow motion. Ask:

• Batting: Is my head moving toward the ball before it pitches? Is my front elbow leading the drive?
• Bowling: Is my non-bowling arm high and pulling down through delivery? Is my front foot landing straight?

Write down one specific correction from the video review. That is your Monday focus.

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Sunday: Mental Training and Rest

Sunday is sacred. Rest is not a reward — it is a requirement. Your muscles grow during rest. Your neural patterns consolidate during sleep. The player who trains 6 days and rests completely on the 7th will outperform the player who trains every single day in a matter of months.

Guided Visualisation Script for Under-16 Players

Read this slowly, or record yourself reading it and play it back with your eyes closed.

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Sit comfortably, close your eyes. Take three slow breaths.

Picture your home ground — or the ground where you most want to play. See the outfield, the pitch, the sight screen. The sky is clear. The air smells like fresh-cut grass.

You are walking out to bat. The crowd is watching. Your pads feel right. Your grip is firm but not tight. You feel calm. You feel ready.

The first ball is on its way. You pick up the length early. It is full and straight. You step forward, head over the ball, and drive through mid-off. Perfectly timed. The sound of bat on ball is clean and crisp.

Ball by ball, you build your innings. Every shot is controlled. Every leave is decisive. Between balls, you take one slow breath and reset. You are exactly where you are supposed to be.

Breathe. Open your eyes. Carry this feeling into tomorrow's training.

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This technique is used by professional cricketers worldwide. For a full programme on mental training, visit the cricket visualisation guide.

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Nutrition Guide for Young Cricketers

Training without fuelling properly is like driving a car with an empty tank. For under-16 players, nutrition is especially important because the body is growing and recovering simultaneously.

Pre-Training Meals (1–2 hours before training)

• 2 rotis with dal or egg bhurji
• A banana or a handful of dates
• 1 glass of water

Avoid heavy fried foods, sugary drinks, or a large meal immediately before training. A heavy stomach slows you down and increases the risk of cramping.

During Training

• Sip water every 15–20 minutes — at least 200 ml per hour
• For sessions lasting more than 90 minutes, a small banana or glucose biscuits midway helps maintain energy

Post-Training Recovery (within 30–45 minutes)

This is the most important nutrition window. After training, your muscles are primed to absorb protein and carbohydrates.

• 2 eggs (boiled or scrambled) + 2 rotis
• Or: 1 glass of milk with a banana
• Or: Curd rice with a piece of fruit

For players looking for a clean, India-appropriate protein supplement, the Muscleblaze Biozyme Whey Protein for teens (Amazon India) is a popular choice among junior cricketers. Always check with a parent or doctor before starting any supplement.

What to Eat on Match Day

Time	What to Eat
2–3 hours before	Rice + dal + curd, or roti + sabzi — easy-to-digest carbs
30–60 min before	Banana or dates, 500ml water
Between innings	Coconut water or glucose drink, light snack (biscuits, banana)
Post-match	Protein-rich meal: eggs, dal, paneer, or chicken

Avoid cold drinks, chips, and heavy fried food on match day. Your body needs clean fuel, not junk.

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How to Track Progress

The players who improve fastest are not the ones who train the hardest — they are the ones who train the most intentionally. And intentional training requires records.

Keep a simple training diary. A ruled notebook works perfectly. You can find a good, durable training diary on Amazon India for around ₹200–350.

Daily log template:

Date: ____________
Session: Morning / Evening
Focus: Batting / Bowling / Fielding / Fitness / Mental
Duration: ___ minutes

What I worked on:
1.
2.

Best moment / rep:

One thing to fix:

Fitness note (energy level 1–5):
Water intake: ___ ml
Sleep last night: ___ hours

Weekly review (every Sunday):

• What was my best session this week?
• What drill improved most noticeably?
• What did the video review show?
• What is my one technical focus for next week?

This takes five minutes. Over a cricket season, you will have built an invaluable record of your own development — one that will tell you exactly what works for you and what does not.

For a ready-made cricket kit that covers all your practice needs, the complete cricket kit buying guide on this site breaks down exactly what you need at every budget. You can also find quality cricket kit bundles on Amazon India for under ₹3,000–5,000.

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A Note for Parents

If your child has given you this article to read — or if you found it yourself while trying to support a young cricketer — this section is for you.

The best thing you can do for a young cricketer is to be their biggest fan, not their harshest critic. The line between the two is finer than most parents realise.

What helps:

• Drive them to practice without making them feel guilty for asking
• Ask "How did you feel today?" rather than "How many did you score?"
• Celebrate consistency, not just results — "You trained four days this week, I noticed that"
• Learn enough about cricket to have a real conversation, but not so much that you start coaching from the boundary
• Trust their coach's process, even when progress feels slow

What hurts:

• Comparing them to teammates or other players constantly
• Showing visible disappointment after a bad performance
• Overloading them with advice during matches
• Projecting your own ambitions onto their cricket journey

The research on youth sports development is clear: children who feel emotionally safe around their parents play with more freedom, take more creative risks, and develop faster. Your emotional support is the training environment — and it matters as much as the schedule above.

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FAQ

Q1. How many hours a week should a serious U16 cricketer train?

A well-structured schedule like the one above involves roughly 7–9 hours of actual training per week, spread across six days. Quality matters far more than volume at this age. Avoid training more than 90 minutes in a single session without proper rest, as overtraining leads to injury and burnout, both of which are common — and preventable — in junior cricket.

Q2. My child is a batsman. Why should they follow the bowling and fielding days?

Because cricket does not give you a break when you are not batting. A batsman who cannot field is a liability in the modern game. More importantly, understanding bowling mechanics makes you a better reader of bowling — you start to see what the bowler is trying to do, which makes shot selection sharper. Every great batsman was also a reliable fielder.

Q3. What if there is no academy or ground nearby?

A surprising amount of this schedule can be completed at home or in a park. Shadow batting, core fitness, visualisation, the full home workout circuit, and even match simulation can all be done without a formal ground. The home batting drills guide shows you exactly how. Resourcefulness is itself a cricket skill — the players who find a way to train regardless of facilities are precisely the ones who earn the facilities later.

Q4. How long will it take to see results?

With consistent training — six days a week, proper recovery, good nutrition, and honest self-review — most under-16 players notice measurable improvements in fitness benchmarks within 4–6 weeks, and visible improvements in technique within 8–10 weeks. Competitive improvement (doing better in actual matches) typically takes a full season of training to fully show up, because match performance has many variables. Be patient. Stack the days.

Q5. Should I specialise as a batsman or bowler at this age?

Not yet. The U16 window is for developing all-round skills. The best junior sides — and the best state academies — want cricketers who can do multiple things. Your specialisation will naturally emerge by age 17–18 based on your strengths and your team's needs. For now, follow the full schedule, bat with serious intent, bowl with serious intent, and field like your place depends on it. Because at some point, it will.

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Cricket does not care how talented you are. It cares how prepared you are on the day. This schedule gives you the preparation. The rest is up to you.

Train smart. Rest hard. Keep records. Eat well. And show up tomorrow.