With the Indian government not approving the men's cricket team the approval to play the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, the blind cricket team also awaits the official permission for the T20 World Cup in the neighbouring nation. However, media reports indicate that they are unlikely to visit Pakistan for the tournament, set to run from November 22 to December 3.
According to reports, the Indian men's blind cricket team has received a No Objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, but the same is mandatory from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The first three World Cups have been organised by the Cricket Association for the Blind in India and Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and India won the tournament. India beat Pakistan twice and Bangladesh in 2022 to lift the trophy.
G. Kivadasannavar, chairman of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) addressed the challenge ahead of them, as quoted by NDTV:
"Facing Pakistan again is an exciting challenge. Visually impaired cricketers deserve more opportunities, and we are determined to extend our winning streak. With three World Cup titles already under our belt, we are ready to make it four and hit another boundary."
Indian men's team's blind squad for the T20 World Cup:
In the B1 Category (Totally Blind), the team features Ajay Kumar Reddy Illuri (Andhra Pradesh), Debaraj Behera (Odisha), Nareshbhai Balubhai Tumda (Gujarat), Nilesh Yadav (Delhi), Sanjay Kumar Shah (Delhi), and Praveen Kumar Sharma (Haryana).
The B2 Category (Partially Blind - Vision upto 2 Meters) players are Venkateswara Rao Dunna (Andhra Pradesh), Pankaj Bhue (Odisha), Lokesha (Karnataka), Rambir Singh (Delhi), and Irfan Diwan (Delhi).
In the B3 Category (Partially Sighted - Vision upto 6 Meters), the team includes Durga Rao Tompaki (Andhra Pradesh), Sunil Ramesh (Karnataka), Sukhram Majhi (Odisha), Ravi Amiti (Andhra Pradesh), Dineshbhai Chamaydabhai Rathva (Gujarat), and Dhinagar Gopu (Pondicherry).
