Odisha: 2 blind cricket players in India team for T20 World Cup 2017

Two blind cricket players from Odisha – Md Jafar Iqbal and Sukhram Majhi – made it to the final squad of the India team for the T20 world cup cricket for the visually challenged, starting from January 28, next year.

The Cricket Association for the Visually Impaired, Odisha on Saturday felicitated the players from the state who have been selected to be a part of the 17 member Indian Team, along with Chandrasekhar Patnaik, who has been the State Coach for Visually Impaired Cricketers in Odisha since 2000.

While Jafar has been part of the national team since 2011, Sukhram played a key role in India’s victory against Pakistan in the Asia cup in January 2016.

The 32-year old youth from the city (Jafar) is working as a procurement inspector in the state Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd vowed to work for the visually challenged in future.

For the 20-year old Majhi, son of a daily labourer from Koraput, it was like a dream come true when his name was among the 17-member Indian squad for the world cup.

M J Srikant, strategist on board of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) and member of the organizing committee of the world cup said, “When there is great will power driven by a genuine intent to excel, nothing comes our way, not even disabilities.”

Total 10 countries would participate in the 2nd T20 world cup that would be played in 10 cities across India during January 28 to February 12. Bhubaneswar will be hosting the match between India and New Zealand on February 7.

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