New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) The Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) in collaboration with leading accessibility organisation Svayam hosted a send-off ceremony for the Indian team selected to participate in the Physical Disabled Cricket Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka from January 12 to 21, 2025. The event was graced with the presence of Rohan Jaitley, President, DDCA, Sminu Jindal, Founder-Chairperson of Svayam, DCCI officials, players, and other dignitaries.
The Indian team, comprising 17 players, was finalised after a rigorous training camp in Jaipur led by Head Coach Rohit Jhalani, former Rajasthan Ranji Captain. The team will face strong international sides such as England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan during the tournament.
Ravikant Chauhan, General Secretary, DCCI, stated, “The team has been put together after a rigorous selection process. We are confident that this team will do well in the tournament and bring laurels to India. DCCI as an organisation has been nurturing differently-abled cricketers for many years and has always tried to provide a platform for emerging talent. In this team too there are some very talented cricketers, including two from Kashmir.
“This process of putting the team together has been made possible because of the support of our coaches, support staff, and other stakeholders. I would like to take this opportunity to thank accessibility NGO Svayam which has been supporting DCCI for many years and is supporting the team even in this tournament. It is with this inclusive mindset that we can take differently-abled cricket forward,” he added.
Captained by Vikrant Ravindra Keni, with Ravindra Gopinath Sante as vice-captain, both hailing from Mumbai, Team India includes wicketkeepers Yogender Singh from Madhya Pradesh and Devendra Singh from Uttar Pradesh. Other key players are Akhil Reddy from Andhra Pradesh, Radhika Prasad from Uttar Pradesh, Akash Anil Patil from Mumbai, Sunny Goyat and Pawan Kumar from Haryana, Jithendra, Narendra, and Rajesh from Karnataka, Nikhil Manhas, Amir Hassan, and Majid Magray from Jammu & Kashmir, Kunal Dattatray Phanase from Maharashtra, and Surendra from Rajasthan. The reserves include Jaswant Singh from Rajasthan, Sadiq from Delhi, and G.S. Shivashankara from Karnataka.
The team will be backed by an experienced coaching and support staff, including head coach Rohit Jhalani, strength and conditioning coach Ramswaroop Saini, assistant coach Ravindra Patil, fielding coach Rohit Sharma, video analyst Sanket Khedkar, and physiotherapist Mayank Pushkar.
Speaking on the occasion, Rohan Jaitley, President, DDCA, said, “I congratulate the cricketers who have been selected for the Indian team to represent the country at the PD Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka. Each athlete has worked very hard to secure a berth in the team and therefore I urge all the athletes to enjoy the journey and I am sure they will also win the cup in the process. I would also like to congratulate Svayam for their support to the team and the work that they do for accessibility in India.”
The Indian team will begin its campaign in Sri Lanka on January 12 with a match against Pakistan, followed by games against England and Sri Lanka; with the tournament finally concluding with the mega final scheduled on January 21.
–IANS
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