The Indian cricket team has withdrawn from the Blind T20 World Cup after the Ministry of External Affairs denied clearance for travel to Pakistan, according to reports. While the Sports Ministry had granted a No-Objection Certificate (NOC), the final approval from the government was not provided.
Sailendra Yadav, General Secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association, confirmed that the Ministry of External Affairs instructed the team to pull out of the event, which is set to take place in Pakistan from November 23 to December 3.
For the first time, Pakistan will host the Blind T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place from November 23 to December 3, 2024. Teams from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, Nepal, and Afghanistan are set to compete in the tournament.
This decision comes shortly after the Board of Control for Cricket in India informed the International Cricket Council that the Indian men’s cricket team would not participate in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. While the 50-over tournament's future without India remains uncertain, the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) indicated that the Blind T20 World Cup may proceed without the Indian team. PBCC Chairman Syed Sultan Shah also mentioned that visas had been issued for the Indian players.
India, the defending champions, have dominated the Blind T20 World Cup, winning all three previous editions in 2012, 2017, and 2022. In the last tournament, held at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India defeated Bangladesh by 120 runs in the final. After posting a commanding total of 277/2, the Indian team restricted Bangladesh to 157/3, maintaining an unbeaten streak throughout the competition.
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).
This diverse group represents a mix of experience and talent from across the country, united in their goal to compete at the World Cup.
