India Unveils Squad for Men's Blind Cricket Asia Cup 2026
India's Squad Announcement for the Asia Cup
Photo: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 25: India has revealed a 17-member team for the upcoming second Men’s Blind Cricket Asia Cup, set to take place in Dhaka from November 15 to 20. The team aims to defend their title after a decade-long hiatus from the tournament.
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced the squad after a rigorous 10-day selection and training camp that included 24 candidates. The chosen players will participate in a month-long training session in the Delhi NCR region before heading to Bangladesh for the tournament.
This training will emphasize various aspects such as batting, bowling, fielding, fitness, conditioning, and match tactics. During the selection phase, players were evaluated based on their performance, fitness, technical abilities, and overall preparedness.
In the B1 category, Naresh Tumda, Sanjay Kumar Shah, Debaraj Behera, Ashok Reddy, Praveen Kumar Sharma, and Mukesh Kumar Rawat have been selected.
The B2 category features Dunna Venkateshwararao, Rambir Singh, Lokesha, Manish Kumar, and Nakula Badanayak, while Durga Rao Tompaki, Sunil Ramesh, Sukhram Majhi, A Ravi, Dinesh Rathva, and Deepak round out the squad in the B3 category.
Dr. Mahantesh G. Kivadasannavar, the chairman of CABI, congratulated the selected athletes and expressed optimism about their preparations.
“Congratulations to the 17 players chosen to represent India at the Men’s Blind Cricket Asia Cup 2026. Each player has put in significant effort to secure a spot on the national team. We are excited to see them uphold India’s proud legacy as they prepare to defend their title. I wish the team all the best,” he stated.
India previously clinched the inaugural Blind T20 Asia Cup, organized by CABI in Kochi in January 2016, by defeating Pakistan by 44 runs in the final. The Indian team scored 208/5 and limited Pakistan to 164, marking their first title win.
The performance of India's blind cricket team has been commendable on the global stage, with the men's team winning the ICC Blind Cricket World Cup five times across different formats.