Gurugram: Come April 25, India’s cricketing journey will mark another milestone as the women’s blind cricket team will take on Nepal in their first international match.
For the 17-member squad that makes up India’s first women’s national team for the blind, it’s not just a dream come true. It is a testimony of years of hard work.
The 23-year-old Karnataka all-rounder Varsha said, “I never thought that I would play for the Indian team.” “My parents used to worry because I am blind, but now they are very proud.”
Sushma Patel, the captain of the team from Madhya Pradesh, said that her father did not allow her to play cricket earlier.
“Now he does,” she said. “After I was selected as captain, people in my village said it was because of my luck. But I will win the cup and show them that it is my hard work and not luck.
The Indian women’s visually impaired cricket team is an initiative of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), governed by the Handicapped Cricket Council in India (DCCI), the only body recognized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. India (BCCI) will promote cricket involving players with disabilities.
“We wanted to launch this team for so many years. It took us time but it is finally here,” said Shikha Shetty of CAB.
Talking about the team and the challenges, he said, “Language was the biggest barrier. The girls are from different backgrounds. Karnataka, Odisha to Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Almost every player comes from a poor and rural background.”
The team will play a T20 bilateral series in Nepal from 25 to 30 April. The selection was done on the basis of the performance of the players in the recently held selection trials at Bhopal.
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rules of the game
The team of 17 includes players with varying degrees of visual impairment. There are 6 players from B1 category (completely blind) and 6 players from B2 (partially blind) category. Five are in the B3 category (partially sighted).
While the broad format of the game remains the same, there are some changes involved in the rules of blind cricket.
“There are some equipments which are different from regular cricket. One is the ball and the other is the wicket.
“The ball is much larger than a standard cricket ball and is loaded with ball bearings to provide an audible signal. And wickets are made of metal, so when the ball or bat hits the wicket, it produces noise.”
Bowlers can only bowl underarm. The delivery must pitch twice before reaching the batsman. The ground is slightly smaller than that of traditional cricket, with boundaries ranging from a minimum of 45 yards to a maximum of 55 yards.
The CABI does not receive any financial support from the BCCI, and is funded by the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, a National Award-winning NGO set up in 1997 by Kivadasannavar and his childhood friend, the late Sugur Paramashivaiah Nagesh.
Shetty, who has worked with the trust for 13 years, said, “Even buying a pair of shoes for these girls is a big deal, but CABI now takes care of everything for them.” “From clothes to shoes and food. We haven’t received any financial support from BCCI yet. But we hope they do something for us soon.
The Indian men’s blind cricket team has won the last three T20 World Cups.
In light of their success over the past decade, a T20 National Trophy for visually impaired women was introduced in 2019. 150 women from seven different states had participated.
The first national tournament was won by Odisha. Smriti Mandhana, the vice-captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, became the brand ambassador of the tournament. Legendary West Indies cricketer Brian Lara showed his solidarity by attending the press conference to mark the launch of the tournament.
The second national tournament had cricketer Rajeshwari Gaikwad as the brand ambassador, and saw participation from 14 state teams. Karnataka emerged as the winners in the tournament.
In the third tournament, 16 teams competed for the title, with Odisha defeating Karnataka in the final to secure their second win.
Indian women’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been appointed as the brand ambassador of India’s blind women’s cricket team.
‘dream come true’
The women of the team are burning with the desire to prove themselves to the world.
“For people like me, who come from villages, it is difficult to come out and play,” said Patel, 20. who lost sight While she was playing with her brothers, an arrow pierced her eye.
“I was six when it happened. I can only see with my left eye but my vision is deteriorating. For a long time, I didn’t know what I would do with my life after that incident, but cricket Life has been given to me. PTI,
“It’s a dream come true that I will get a chance to lead India.”
Also from Madhya Pradesh, Priya is an all-rounder who is enjoying the training camp.
“To those who want to do something in life, I want to tell them – don’t get discouraged by small setbacks, make them your partner and go ahead with them,” said Priya, who is the tallest in the team, and is the former Admits Indian captain Mithali Raj is her favorite cricketer.
He further spoke of a strong camaraderie among the team members. “I used to play for Madhya Pradesh, but we all play for India. There is no difference between us. “We try to learn the language from each other and the culture. In our spare time we discuss all those things.”
Another member of the squad is 13-year-old Jhilli Birua from Odisha, who is an orphan.
“I had to drop out of school because I did not have the necessary documents to enroll,” she said told PTI, “Now I do daily wages during the day and play cricket in the evening,” said Jhili, who lost her mother when she was three, while her father met a fatal accident in 2020.
Speaking about the selection process, E. John David, chairman of the CABI selection committee and secretary general of the body, said that 38 players were initially shortlisted for the selection trials on the basis of their performance in national competitions.
He expressed confidence that the 17 players selected would emerge victorious in the upcoming tournament in Nepal.
with ANI inputs
(Editing by Sunanda Ranjan)
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