Chandigarh won the IDCA (Indian Deaf Cricket Association) Women’s 4th T-10 National Cricket Championship for Deaf in an exciting finale on 25 May in Bengaluru. The final match was between Mumbai and Chandigarh teams and the latter emerged victorious by 8 wickets. The culmination of the tournament was observed through a closing ceremony, held at Samprasiddhi Sports Estadio, in the presence of Ms. Mamatha Maben, a former Indian cricketer. An evening felicitation ceremony was also organized at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru.
The match between Mumbai and Chandigarh offered a thriller of a display, with the former putting up a good score of 73 runs in 8 overs. Chandigarh did not let the early wicket of Needa Shaikh, who had been in a brilliant form throughout the tournament, come in their way and chased the total in 7.1 overs, thus clinching the title. Neha, Chandigarh’s captain, was unbeaten on 56, playing a stellar knock that steered her team towards success.
During the felicitation ceremony, Ms. Mamatha Maben lauded the IDCA for providing a platform to the deaf women cricketers to showcase their talent and pursue their dreams. Chief guest James Godber, Deputy Head of Mission, UK Deputy High Commission in Bengaluru, was awestruck at the amazing talent of these players and the shattering of barriers through cricket.
IDCA is also thankful to its sponsors for helping them achieve their vision of promoting cricket among the deaf players. Its long-time partners KFC India, Hero MotoCorp, Kaizzen and Fan Code have been supported by partners such as Can Fin Homes Ltd, Nykaa Foundation, NTPC Limited, Villoo Poonawalla Foundation and Cognito, plus Padukone-Dravid Centre of Sports Excellence, Chimanlal.M. Shah Charitable trust, Collearn, and Neetart.
Overall, it was a fantastic tournament showcasing the talent of the hearing impaired players and inspiring other players. This tournament gave deaf women cricketers a platform to mainstream in the future and be accepted in the mainstream cricket. It is a huge step for the Indian cricket and inclusivity.
