Kalpendra Jha has coached the under-16 Rajasthan cricket team and the Puducherry team for the Ranji Trophy, working alongside prominent cricketers like Dishant Yagnik and Shaun Tait. His commitment has earned him opportunities with the Rajasthan Cricket Association and the Rajasthan Royals camp.

Kalpendra Jha is a Strength and Conditioning Coach based in Banswara, Rajasthan. He has played in Under-17 and Under-14 cricket tournaments for the Rajasthan state team and is a certified Level 2 trainer from the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association. His role is to keep sportspersons fit and help them achieve their fitness goals while preventing injuries.

Talking about his journey, Kalpendra  shares that his family had always supported him ever since he started playing sports. He had always been inclined towards cricket and has played in Under-14 and Under-17 cricket tournaments for Rajasthan. As a child, he used to watch cricket matches and regards Anup Dave, who helped India win the Under- 19 World Cup, as his childhood hero. He also admires IPL player Dishant Yagnik. As he played in tournaments, he envisioned playing for India and was clear that he wanted to become a cricketer. Despite encountering many ups and downs in his sports career, he persisted in his goal of making a career in cricket.

In 2011, he participated in a cricket education programme and started attending coaching classes, believing that becoming a coach would provide a source of income in the same field. He started coaching in 2011 but regrets not playing in the Ranji Trophy, which prevented him from qualifying as a BCCI coach. He then joined a programme at the MRF Pace Foundation under the guidance of Ramji Shrinivasan, who was the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian Cricket Team. Thereafter, he interned under his mentor and met many professionals in the field, such as Amogh Pandit, the strength and conditioning coach for Mumbai, and coach Nishant from the MCA. These people helped and guided him in his career.

When he completed his coaching programme, Kalpendra Jha got the opportunity to coach the under-16 Rajasthan team when the BCCI handled the tournaments. Gradually, he developed a greater interest in training players, helping them realize their fitness goals, and preparing them to perform at their maximum potential while preventing injuries. He stresses the crucial role of the coach in a sports player's journey. Dishant Yagnik, presently the fielding coach of the Rajasthan Royals, gave him the opportunity to coach the Puducherry team for the Ranji Trophy.

During the COVID-19 lockdown period, he studied more and gained knowledge about the coaching field. He attended classes conducted by coach Amogh Pandit and met many people. He believed in himself and realized that if given the opportunity, he could showcase his talent. He coached the Puducherry team despite the language barrier and helped the team improve their fitness and performance. The director of the Cricket Association of Puducherry, Mr. Damodaran appreciated his coaching style, and the team captain started to trust him. He succeeded on the path that his mentor, Dishant Yagnik, had envisioned for him.

Eventually, he started getting many other opportunities. He also worked with Shaun Tait, who was the bowling coach of the team he was coaching. Although Kalpendra could not play for India, he feels fulfilled training players who will represent India. He believes that honest hard work leads to success. He is currently working with the Rajasthan Cricket Association under the directorship of Mr. Pankaj Singh. He has also attended the Rajasthan Royals camp and trains kids at KT Cricket Academy in Udaipur, aiming to educate them at the grassroots level.

Originally from Banswara, which has produced many well-known cricketers like Hanumant Singh, Anup Dave, and Dishant Yagnik, Kalpendra Jha did his schooling at Govt. Nutan Senior Secondary School. He says that his family has always supported him, and his grandfather, who lived in Kolkata, would send him cricket bats. There was a strong cricket craze in his community as well. His first coach, D.L. Nagar, taught him bowling. He completed his BCom and MCom in Udaipur, aiming to play for the university and possibly get selected for the Ranji Trophy. Later, he earned an MBA in HRM from Symbiosis International, realizing the importance of education for career growth. He also completed level 1 and level 2 certifications from the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA).

When asked about his role models, Coach Kalpendra says that his family, especially his wife, has supported him a lot in his journey. His childhood heroes, Anup Dave and Dishant Yagnik, have inspired him, and he considers them his role models. He is also inspired by the famous Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and his dedication to fitness. He believes that gaining knowledge daily can inspire other sportspeople and that even a small child can be an inspiration in the sports field.

He feels motivated by Suresh Raina's words: "Challenge drives me, hard work is my habit, family is life, and cricket is me." He also finds motivation in the title song of the Aamir Khan movie, "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar."

He enjoys watching the sunrise in the morning, feeling inspired by the sun's consistency and believing that if the sun can rise each day on time, we can also follow our daily fitness routine.

Talking about hardships, Kalpendra Jha recalls attending the Mumbai Indians camp in 2011. At that time, he almost left playing cricket and was not focusing on his fitness, but his bowling impressed the head coach, Robin Singh. However, due to his fitness issues, he could not seize the opportunity. He worked hard and gave his best efforts, but he feels that a lack of guidance prevented him from achieving his goal of playing for India. When he stopped playing cricket, he struggled to decide what to do next. He remembers going to interviews for coaching positions with his certificates but not getting any job due to the lack of a teaching degree.

Despite earning an MBA in HRM and being eligible for jobs in that field, he wanted to stay connected to cricket. He didn't lose hope and focused on what he wanted to do. Eventually, he became eligible for BCCI Level 1 and became a trainer. He says that when a player stops playing, it becomes difficult to decide what to do next, so he guides the players he trains on what education they should pursue and how they should play, while also working on a backup option if things don’t work out.

To all those who want to enter the field of sports, he advises doing so only if they love playing sports. Passion will motivate them to play even in harsh circumstances. He shares that there are ample career options in sports management, such as trainer, video analyst, and performance analyst. Nowadays, sports psychology, yoga, and meditation have become popular due to the increasing stress on players.

Kalpendra Jha encourages interested individuals to approach him for guidance and to connect with him.

Reflecting on his journey, Kalpendra  says he enjoyed his sports career immensely. Now, as a strength and conditioning coach, his perspective on players has evolved. He highlights various courses like Exercise Science, ASCA, CSCS, and AISTS, noting that there are ample opportunities available in the field.

To the youth of the nation, he advises never going against God's plans and accepting the opportunities that come their way. He emphasizes enjoying the process and giving your 100%.

He urges sportspersons planning their training to do so under the guidance of a professional—whether a trainer, coach, or physiotherapist—since they have practical experience in the field. He also advises following their diet plans and training advice meticulously.