Visually Impaired: How Cricketers Eye The Boundary

Name: Ajay Reddy
Honour: Arjuna Award
Current Title: Player of the Series
Match: T20 Blind Cricket Series

Ajay was still a school boy when he lost his vision to an accident. And before he finished school, he found his passion in cricket.

Ajay isn’t alone in this.

India has over 25,000 blind cricketers, men and women combined. Let’s understand how visually impaired men and women in blue ace the game despite their disability.

Classification Of Players

The squad consists of three kinds of players: B1, B2 and B3. B1 players are completely blind. While B2 players can see upto 2 meters, B3 players can see upto 3 meters.

Dhiraj Sequeira, Manager of the Indian Men’s Blind Cricket Team, explained,

“As per the rules, B1 players are supposed to wear dark glasses to prevent light from coming in. It is a must to have four players from the B1 category. A minimum of 2 players from the B2 category and a maximum of four B3 players can play.”

Adding to this, Mr Sequeira, the Lead of the Sports Initiative at Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, said,

“Each run hit by a B1 player is counted as double. B1 players have to compulsorily bowl 40 per cent of the overs in a game.”

The Audible Cricket Ball

It might look like a regular white plastic ball. But it is different. This ball has cycle bearings inside. When the ball swings in the air, it makes a sound, providing audible cues to visually impaired players, and helping them locate the ball.

Bowling Style

The bowling style is underarm as opposed to the traditional overarm. Sanjay Kumar Shah, B1 cricketer, explains,

“The batsman can hear the ball better when it rolls on the ground.”

Indian Men’s Blind Cricket team is a shining example of rising over one’s disability, one match at a time. In January this year, Ajay Reddy was conferred with Arjuna Award, becoming the first visually impaired cricketer to win the honour. Ajay says,

“Not just me, we are all Samarth.”

Also Read: Tale Of Ajay Reddy: How The Indian Blind Cricket Team Captain Found A Way To Serve The Nation