[[{“value”:”
They can’t speak or hear, yet they have made a strong statement. The Virender Singh-led Indian deaf cricket team outclassed Sri Lanka by six wickets to clinch the inaugural Deaf T20I Asia Cup at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Wednesday. The feat is remarkable, considering 11 out of the 16-player squad, including skipper Virender, are jobless, meaning they don’t have a steady income.
Head coach Dev Dutt is hoping this stellar show can draw the attention of the BCCI and government authorities, who can offer employment to these
talented cricketers.
“My players are unable to speak, but they communicate among themselves flawlessly through their skills and intent. Just like India’s blind cricketers have received support from the BCCI, I hope this team too gets similar assistance from the board. More so, because our players play under the same set of ICC rules that govern able-bodied cricketers. A deaf cricket match is like any normal match, the only difference being the players can’t speak or hear. I also hope the government steps in to reward these hardworking players,” Dutt told mid-day over the phone from New Delhi on Thursday.
India deaf team head coach Dev Dutt; (right) India deaf team captain Virender Singh
The Indian team remained unbeaten in the Asian Deaf Cricket Association-organised three-team competition (the third team being Nepal) where every team played each other twice. “Hats off to the passion of these players who work hard despite little or no monetary reward,” added Dutt, who has been coaching this team since 2020.
Dutt, a BCCI Level-1 coach, who previously coached the Delhi U-19 team, went on to explain how he initially struggled to communicate with his players. “For the first two years, it was very difficult for me to deal with these players because I am not deaf and don’t know the sign language. We have a sign language specialist, who explains my instructions to the players. I also try and demonstrate technique to them and they understand. Sometimes I also hand them little notes with specific instructions and they follow everything diligently,” added Dutt.
Skipper and all-rounder Virender, 41, who scored a match-winning 52 in the final, is hoping his team can go a step further and conquer the world next. “Winning our maiden Asia Cup is a very big achievement for us. It’s the result of perfect teamwork. Now, we want to keep up this momentum as we work towards our next goal — the Deaf World Cup, which is in Dubai in October. I have no doubt this team can be world champions,” Virender, who hails from Himachal Pradesh’s Una district, told mid-day via a text message.
11
No. of players who are jobless in the 16-member India deaf team
“}]]
