Mumbai, Nov 28 (IANS): The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) on Tuesday announced the captain and vice-captain of the Indian Women's Cricket team for the Blind ahead of their first-ever Women's Bilateral Series in India which gets underway from December 11, 2023 at Police Gymkhana.
The Bilateral series is to be played against Nepal. India will play 5 T20 Matches at Mumbai from December 11, 2023, to December 15, 2023. Varsha, who led Team India to a gold medal in the finals of the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games 2023 in Birmingham, will captain the side for the Nepal T20Is. Phula Saren will be continued as her deputy for the Women's Bilateral Series in Mumbai.
Speaking on the announcement ahead of the Nepal T20Is, the President of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) Buse Gowda said, “This is the first ever Women’s International Bilateral in India. City of Dreams is the best place to organize these matches dreaming that our women cricketers will get the massive support and go on to become the torch bearers of Cricket for the Blind. We welcome the team from Nepal and may the best team win”
Speaking on the occasion, Anila Rajneesh Chief Human Resources Officer Fedfina said, " We take great pride in extending our support to the inaugural International Cricket Series dedicated to visually impaired Women Cricketers. We firmly believe that this series will serve as a powerful source of inspiration for numerous aspiring individuals, empowering them to conquer obstacles and pursue their dreams. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to Samarthanam Trust for the disabled and CABI for granting us the chance to collaborate with them, as we collectively work towards establishing a solid foundation that ensure Cricket is accessible and inclusive for everyone."
After being appointed as the captain for the Nepal T20Is, Varsha said, " Once again I am given the responsibility to lead the side and both Phula(VC) and I are honored. We are sure that the team will give the best and new records, new players and new dreams will be dreamt through this series taking this game to the next level.
The chairman of Cricket Association for the Blind in India(CABI) Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar wished both the teams the best and said, “I thank FedFina for joining hands with Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and CABI in promoting Cricket for the Blind. May this partnership help us in providing the holistic development to our visually impaired cricketers.”
Earlier this month, the Indian team for the Nepal T20Is was announced. Four players have got a maiden call-up to the Indian women's squad and the players are Simranjeet Kaur (Rajasthan) B2, Sunita Sarathe (Madhya Pradesh) B2, Geetha Mahato (Jharkhand) B3, and Kavya N R (Karnataka) B3.
Determined to overturn their previous 1-3 series loss in Nepal during April, the Women in Blue are gearing up for 5 T20 Matches in Mumbai from December 11 to December 15, 2023. As part of their preparation, the women’s squad has been undergoing an intensive 22-day cricket coaching camp which started on November 20, 2023, at CBD Belapur, Maharashtra.
The Nepal team is expected to arrive in India on December 10, 2023, setting the stage for the inaugural Fedfina Women’s Bilateral T20 Cricket Series for the Blind 2023.