Desi bravehearts brace for the sound of T20 success

As cricket buffs get glued to telly every evening to watch their favourite teams battle it out in an IPL match, there is another team that needs tons of support and oodles of good luck, as it is representing the country in a T20 tournament. Unlike the cheer and noise at the IPL stadium, this tournament will be marked with silence. No live telecast, no glitzy brand campaigns and no moolah to be made.

Meet the team that is representing India in the first edition of Deaf T20 Asia Cup to be held in Pakistan from April 18. Proud of their Blue India jerseys, they are determined to bring home the cup.

The team of 14 cricketers, aged between 18 and 34 years, is going to battle it out with six other SAARC nations. The team members hail from different States. Captain Imran Sheikh is from Gujarat while his deputy Inderjeet Yadav is from Maharashtra.

Speaking through a sign language interpreter, 30-year-old Sheikh says: “Every day we sit together and plan out the winning of the Cup.”

Living in the neighbourhood of celebrity cricketer Irfan Pathan, he recalls how he started playing at age 12 and honed his game along with the other “normal neighbourhood kids” including, Pathan.

The only corporate support the team has got is from Usha International, which is the official partner for Mumbai Indians in the IPL and has been sponsoring the deaf team for the past three years. As part of this initiative, it partnered with the All India Cricket Association for the Deaf for the inaugural edition of the USHA Deaf IPL last year.

“Association with Mumbai Indians is commercial and all about increasing penetration of our products. But this association is simply because it’s a great cause. As cricket is indeed a religion in the country, we need to support all the cricketers and all kinds of tournaments,” said Komal Mehra, Events Head, Usha International. Over the years, Usha has been supporting various kinds of sports, including the Mawana marathon, Ultimate Frisbee tournaments, golf among others.

Sheikh said: “Corporate and cricket audiences haven’t seen us playing. They think it’s like gully (street) cricket. Usha International saw us and sponsored us. Others need to see how professionally we play.” Incidentally, deaf cricket teams in other countries are sponsored by their official country cricket boards.

“I believe one day matches played by us will also be telecast live and watched by millions of cricket buffs in the country,” says captain Sheikh, who wants to train more youngsters, and signs off with confidence.

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