BBC:
The ongoing inaugural Blind Women’s T20 Cricket World Cup has put the spotlight on visually impaired Indian women who have overcome immense challenges to reach this stage.
They come from villages, farming families and small-town hostels, with many learning the sport only in the past few years.
The T20 tournament – a six-team event featuring India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and the USA – began on 11 November in Delhi. After a few matches in Bengaluru, the venue for the knockouts has now moved to Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo.
The 16-member Indian squad represents nine states – Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Delhi, Assam, and Bihar. Many players were introduced to the sport through schoolteachers, disability organisations, or community camps.
“Most of the players are from rural backgrounds,” said team manager Shika Shetty. “Language and culture were barriers, families and teachers were often unwilling to let them pursue the sport, and even introducing the rules of blind cricket took time. But now they are all competing with pride.”
Blind cricket uses a plastic ball with metal bearings that makes a sound, and players are classified depending on their level of visual impairment. Players are classified as B1, B2 or B3, based on vision, and teams must include a mix of all three. The ball jingles and is bowled underarm along the pitch. B1 players, who are fully blind, bat with runners for safety, and each run they complete counts as two.
The World Cup features six teams in a single round-robin. India won all five matches and were the first side to qualify for the semi-finals.
