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It was another great day for Indian cricket on Sunday as the blind team beat Pakistan to retain their T20 World Cup title.
With no support from BCCI, the Indian team for the visually disabled is run by a body called Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI). Even though they aren’t centrally contracted and do not receive a regular salary from any association, it’s the passion for the game that keeps them going.
Here are three players who’ve been powering ahead and leading the Indian blind cricket team.
Ajay Kumar Reddy
Captain and all-rounder, Iluri Ajay Kumar Reddy has been a frontrunner in the Indian blind cricket team’s successful journey so far. Like most other boys in India, the 26-year-old started playing the game when he was in school.
Hailing from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, Reddy lost his vision in an accident when he was just four years old. Before choosing cricket as a career, he completed his bachelors in arts.
When he first started playing for the country, Ajay came under B3 category which includes players who can see up to 9 metres. However due to a deterioration in his vision, he was later shifted into the B2 category of players who can see up to 6 metres.
Since he played his first international match during the India-England tour in 2010, Ajay has won over 50 man of the series awards and many man of the match awards. He also received the ‘Best Sportsperson Award’ by the Andhra Pradesh government.
Prakash Jayaramaiah
Prakash Jayaramaiah from Karnataka is the Indian blind cricket team’s vice-captain and one of four players in India’s starting eleven who plays in the B3 category. The rest of the team has four players under B1 category who cannot see at all and three under B2.
The 33-year-old led India to victory in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan with his 99-run knock and was named Man of the Match and best wicketkeeper.
I have no regrets about not being able to complete my century. India’s victory was more important than my ton. I didn’t feel nervous. In this tournament, I’ve scored 96, 99, 99, 115 and 99. On the contrary, finishing in the 90s proves lucky for me.Prakash to Circle of Bollywood
Prakash lost his vision in an accident when he was 8 months old but didn’t see it as a roadblock in becoming a cricketer. Since his India debut in 2010, Prakasha has been part of the One-Day International World Cup squad and this was his second T20 World Cup.
Ketan Patel
Visually impaired from birth, Ketan Patel is one of India’s star bowlers. The B1 player too gathered interested for cricket when he was still in school. The 32-year-old first played for India in 2006 during the 3rd ODI World Cup.
The 200 yard pitch is divided into two, and the bowler has to pitch the bowl once before the halfway mark. The wickets are made of iron to help the bowler position himself. The ball that the cricketers use is made of fibre, weighs around 15-16 grams and has ball bearings inside which make noise to help the cricketers know where it is going. The bat is however the same one the men in blue use.
Man of the series in the first-ever T20 World Cup 2012, Patel picked two wickets giving away only 29 runs in the tournament’s final this year. He was also awarded the the Man of the Series during the ODI 2014 and Man of the Series during the first ever Asia Cup held in 2016.
(With inputs from Circle of Bollywood.)
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