Inaugural Blind Women's T20 Cricket World Cup Underway
The first Blind Women's T20 Cricket World Cup commenced on November 11 in Delhi. The tournament features six national teams: India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the USA. Following initial matches in Bengaluru, the knockout stages are scheduled to take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
India's Performance and Squad Composition
The 16-member Indian squad draws players from nine states, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, Assam, and Bihar. India secured victories in all five of its group-stage matches, becoming the first team to qualify for the semi-finals.
Rules of Blind Cricket
Blind cricket utilizes a plastic ball equipped with metal bearings, which produces an audible sound. Players are categorized by their level of visual impairment:
- B1: Fully blind. Batters in this category use runners and are awarded two runs for each run completed.
- B2: Partially sighted.
- B3: Partially sighted with more vision than B2.
Teams are required to include a combination of B1, B2, and B3 players. The ball is bowled underarm along the pitch.
Key Indian Team Members
- Deepika TC (Captain): From Karnataka, she experienced vision loss as a child due to an accident. She began playing cricket through specialized schools.
- Ganga Kadam (Vice-Captain): From Maharashtra, she was enrolled in a school for the blind by her father. She developed her cricket skills through dedicated practice.
- Anekha Devi (Top-order batter): A 20-year-old from Jammu and Kashmir, born partially blind. She joined a blind cricket camp after being encouraged by her visually impaired uncle.
- Phula Saren (All-rounder): An 18-year-old from a tribal community in Odisha, she lost vision in her left eye at age five. She discovered cricket through a teacher at a school for the blind.
- Sunita Sarathe (Fielder): From Madhya Pradesh, she joined a blind cricket camp later in life after exploring various jobs, following a friend's recommendation.
Organizational Background
The World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC), headquartered in London, has overseen blind cricket since 1996. While men's blind cricket has a history dating back to the first 50-over World Cup in 1998 and the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2012, this year marks the first women's World Cup.
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), which governs national blind cricket, was established in 2011. The systematic process of scouting for a women's team began in 2019. The Indian women's blind cricket team played its first international match in 2023 and also secured a gold medal at the IBSA World Games in Birmingham the same year. Funding and team formation were identified as initial challenges in establishing the women's tournament.