Colombo: The Indian women’s blind cricket team scripted history by winning the first-ever Women’s T20 World Cup Cricket for the Blind after a dominant seven-wicket victory against Nepal in the final held in Colombo. The success marked a perfect campaign where India remained unbeaten, demonstrating complete dominance throughout the tournament.
Opting to field first after winning the toss, India limited Nepal to 114 for 5 in their 20 overs. The chase was nothing short of clinical as India surpassed the target in just 12.1 overs with 47 balls to spare. Khula Sharir emerged as the standout performer, scoring an unbeaten 44 off 27 balls, including four boundaries, to guide India home comfortably.
The victory comes barely three weeks after the Indian women’s team defeated South Africa in Navi Mumbai -two landmark wins that highlight the rising status of women’s cricket in the country, both in mainstream and visually impaired categories.
In the semi-final, India secured a commanding nine-wicket victory over Australia, while Nepal advanced to the final by narrowly defeating Pakistan in the other last-four encounter.
The T20 tournament, a six-team event including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, and the USA, started November 11 in New Delhi. Following a few matches in Bengaluru, the knockout stages shifted to Colombo, Sri Lanka.
India’s Road to the title:
Defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets
Defeated Australia by 209 runs
Defeated Nepal by 85 runs
Defeated the United States by 10 wickets
Defeated Pakistan by 8 wickets
Semifinal: Defeated Australia by 9 wickets
Final: Defeated Nepal by 7 wickets (Colombo)
India’s emphatic title run not only underscores their consistency but also marks a significant milestone for blind cricket, paving the way for greater recognition and development of the sport in the coming years.
IANS