National champions open up about breaking barriers, smashing sixes, and proving that courage is the real game-changer in an unforgettable interaction
Published on: November 28, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: New Delhi, India
In a session that left everyone emotional and inspired, members of the victorious Indian Women’s Blind Cricket Team – fresh from winning the inaugural T20 World Cup for the Blind in Multan earlier this year – shared their extraordinary journey with admirers, media, and young fans today at the India Habitat Centre.The interaction, described as “pure magic” by those present, featured stand-out stars like captain Sunita Shaw (B1 category), record-breaking opener Phula Saren, all-rounder Deepika T.C., and the youngest member of the squad, 19-year-old Gangotri Kurre from Chhattisgarh, who famously hit the winning runs in the final against Nepal.
Key highlights that moved the audience to tears and thunderous applause:When asked “How do you bat without seeing the ball?”, Phula Saren smiled and said, “The bowler shouts ‘Play!’ the moment she releases. We judge line and length by sound and years of muscle memory. The ball has ball-bearings inside – it rattles. That’s our sight.” She then demonstrated the signature under-arm bowling style used in blind cricket, leaving everyone stunned.
Sunita Shaw revealed that the team practised on dusty village grounds in Jharkhand and Odisha with zero facilities. “Sometimes we used a plastic bottle filled with stones instead of the official rattling ball. But dreams don’t need perfect equipment – they need perfect belief.”
Deepika, who took 14 wickets in the World Cup, spoke about facing societal taunts: “People used to say ‘Andhon ke liye cricket? Kya ukhaad loge?’ Today the same people take selfies with us. We didn’t change – their vision did.”
In a heart-melting moment, Gangotri gifted her Player-of-the-Match medal from the semi-final to a visually impaired 12-year-old girl in the audience, saying, “This belongs to every little girl who will now believe she can play for India.”
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The team also demonstrated fielding drills using only sound cues, running at full speed and diving to “catch” the rattling ball with pinpoint accuracy – a display that drew a standing ovation lasting over two minutes.Speaking at the event, BCCI’s Apex Council member and former India opener WV Raman, who was special guest, announced that the board is working to formally recognise blind women’s cricket and provide monthly retainers from the next financial year – a commitment met with loud cheers.
The champions ended the session by singing the victory song they composed on the flight back from Pakistan – “Andhera humein rok nahi sakta, hum toh khud roshni hain” (Darkness cannot stop us; we ourselves are the light).As the team left the stage to a thunderous “India! India!” chant, one message rang clear: these women are not just world champions – they are living proof that limitations are only in the eyes of those who refuse to see greatness.
