NEW DELHI: The Indian Deaf Cricket Team clinched a major victory against Sri Lanka in the five-match bilateral ODI deaf cricket series held in New Delhi. The Indian squad defeated the visiting Sri Lankan team 5-0 at the DDA Roshanara Club to win the series held between December 2 to December 8.
The ODI Deaf Cricket Series between India and Sri Lanka concluded on an exhilarating note, with the Indian Deaf Cricket Team securing a victory by 13 runs. India posted a total of 289/10 in 49.5 overs, while Sri Lanka was all out for 276 in 48.4 overs, marking a thrilling end to the series.
The grand success of the Indian deaf cricket team in the bilateral series comes after extensive training and practice sessions under the expert guidance of head coach Dev Dutt and assistant coach Susheel Gupta, a release said.
The players were trained in Delhi from November 25 to December 1. Sai Akash of the Indian Deaf Cricket Team bagged the Man of the Match title, while Alanrose Kalep from Sri Lankan Deaf Cricket Team became the Man of the Series.
Alanrose Kalep was the maximum wicket-taker in the series with 12 wickets in 4 innings, while Santosh Kumar Mahopatra from Indian Team was adjudged best batter who scored 325 runs in 5 matches at an average of 65 runs, including one century and two half centuries.
The bilateral series was hosted by the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA) – a member of the Deaf International Cricket Council (DICC), which works closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the promotion of cricket amongst the hearing-impaired athletes all over the world.
Players from both the teams leveraged the unique opportunity to showcase their talents and they proved their mettle in each match of the series. The Indian squad was led by captain Virendra Singh and included 15 players from across India. Sri Lanka captain was Gimadu Malkam, he led the team ably and played well.
Highlighting the relevance of the deaf cricket series, President of IDCA, Sumit Jain congratulated players from both the teams for showcasing “their exemplary talents” during the series. “Bilateral series like this are the perfect platform for the teams to hone their talents and get ready for larger platforms in the future. IDCA looks forward to keep organizing more series like this to promote and keep appreciating the special athletic talent of our hearing-impaired players”, he said.
Appreciating the talents of both teams, Jaswinder Narang, CEO-Villoo Poonawalla Foundation, said the intense battle between the two teams is a testament of the perseverance and skills of the specially-abled players. “The role of IDCA in organizing the bilateral series, to help the players build their confidence and perform even better, is really appreciable. The win of Team India clearly depicts how the players hold the capability to compete and succeed at the highest levels of the sport”.
Pratik Puri, Head of Cricket Academies, Delhi, said that watching the Deaf cricketers from India and Sri Lanka compete in Delhi was an absolute thrill. “Their skill and sportsmanship left a lasting impression on me”. IDCA Director Santosh Kumar Rai hailed the performance of Indian team and congratulated both the teams for the wonderful display of great game. (ANI)