How Cricket Changed My Life?
“I have a spinal cord injury and I am a wheelchair user since childhood. But thanks to my family, and friends I started playing cricket in childhood only. I think playing cricket was my destiny. My professional journey started in 2015 when I just randomly searched for wheelchair cricket on Facebook, and I found current Indian wheelchair cricket captain Somjeet Singh and Delhi Team Captain Sonu Gupta. I sent them a request and we started talking. They told me that wheelchair cricket has started in India. I never thought a concept like a wheelchair cricket could actually exist.
They asked me to give trials and send a video of myself playing. I sent my video of playing shots and with a few follow-up processes and trials, I got selected for the Allahabad tri-series between Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi. I was selected for the UP team and that’s how my journey with Wheelchair Cricket India Association (WCIA) started.
In 2018, during June-July, there was a selection process for the International series in Bangladesh, I was selected to play for India. I delivered a good performance. I made my first international half-century, taking 4 wickets. We defeated Bangladesh 2-0. I was over the top of the world. I could see my life changing. I was overcoming the challenges. The journey made me so confident.
In September 2018, I was selected for India-Pakistan in Dubai. I delivered a good performance there also. We defeated Pakistan 3-0. Then we had the Indian Wheelchair Cricket League (IWCL) in Gurgaon. I was the captain of the UP team, we delivered a good performance there also.
We won the tournament and the journey continues.”
What were the initial struggles?
“One of the biggest challenges of the initial days was everyday mobility issues in the government wheelchair. It has no speed, and no proper sitting position, I cannot describe how difficult it is to move in those wheelchairs.
However, thanks to cricket and my exposure to it, I switched to an active wheelchair. It has not only improved my performance but my years of struggle finally came to an end.
“Cricket se phele struggle bahut tha.” To face people, to converse with them everything was a struggle. People carried a stigma that I am disabled so I won’t be able to do anything.
But since I am officially associated with cricket life has changed completely. Now the only struggle is what the future holds for the wheelchair cricket association.”
What is the change in attitude in people before and after you started playing for India?
“There has been a drastic change. First of all, I will tell you how the perspective of people in my home town changed. Fellows in school knew me because I was in a wheelchair. ‘1000 main Ek baccha wheelchair peh alag se dekhta hai.‘ You know right the sympathy, the judgmental stigmatised way people look at you. It is the same for every individual in the disability community.
But when I came back from Bangladesh to play for India, I received a grand welcome back home. But when I returned from Dubai, I won against Pakistan. We received a majestic welcome at the station, and many people came to welcome us. Everything changed. I never thought people would welcome us like that, that people would love us like that. From the airport to the station to my village, it felt like an ever-ending celebration of our triumph. I was thrilled and overjoyed.”
Leadership roles:
“I learnt to take the pressure myself, to motivate the team members in grey times. One thing we often underestimate is motivating ourselves. We must learn to motivate ourselves. When you become a captain of the team and take over the leadership role, you need to know how to manage it on the ground. Every player deals with the pressure differently.
I never think that I am the captain when I am on the ground. This works for me to manage my pressure. I always tell my players “AAP sab captain hai.” I tell my players to communicate anything freely, I tell the players you have the freedom to tell them if you can bowl a player better or have a better fielding setup. When I go for batting I forget that I am a captain. The only thing that matters to me at that point in time is my performance on the ground.
I think my role as a captain is largely to increase the morale of my players. Even if my bowler is performing badly, I encourage him and motivate him to deliver that one ball that can take the wicket. And the course of matches changes in our favour. I learnt this approach towards my game and towards my team from Dhoni. You see me talking to everybody, interacting with each player. I observe Dhoni very closely on the ground. Maine unko adarsh maankar hi kaam kiya hai.
My team members like me in captaincy because I listen to them, I give importance to their opinions, and I think that is very important.”
Achievements:
I represented India in the Monterrey para athletics Grand Prix, Mexico 2022 July.
Bronze Medalist in Javelin throw in 19th National para athletics championship 2021 Bangalore, Karnataka.
Gold Medal in Javelin throws in 3rd Indian open para athletics championship 2021 Bangalore, Karnataka.
Bronze Medalist in Javelin throws in 20th national para athletics championship 2022 Bhubneshwar, Odissa.
Bronze Medalist in Javelin throws in 4th Indian open para athletics championship 2022 Bangalore, Karnataka.
Comments