Coached virtually, Gujarat’s deaf and mute women win T-10 tournament

Vadodara: Amid the Indian women's cricket team's T20 World Cup campaign, Gujarat has something to celebrate—their girls' deaf and mute cricket team has brought home a trophy for the first time. The team triumphed at the T-10 Deaf Women's Cricket Tournament, recently held in Aligarh.What makes this victory especially remarkable is that the team was coached virtually by Imran Sheikh, the former captain of the Indian deaf cricket team."Most of the girls are from Vadodara, with a few from Surat, Chhota Udepur, and Palanpur. It wasn't feasible for those from other cities to travel to Vadodara for practice. So, I thought of an innovative solution," Sheikh told TOI in sign language."I began creating videos in sign language to explain the technical aspects of bowling, batting, and fielding. These were shared with the girls over WhatsApp, and they followed the instructions diligently. In turn, they sent me videos of their bowling and batting techniques. I would then analyze them and share feedback on what needed improvement," Sheikh explained.For nearly four months, the virtual coaching continued, while the girls in Vadodara also received occasional in-person training at a local school's cricket ground. "My efforts paid off as the girls excelled on the field. I'm thrilled that our team has won the championship—it will definitely boost their confidence," Sheikh added.The T-10 Deaf Women's Cricket Tournament was organized by the Aligarh Cricket Association of Deaf and saw participation from teams across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Sheikh is hopeful that some of these girls may even have the opportunity to represent the Indian deaf women's cricket team or participate in future inter-state tournaments. "Many of these girls come from underprivileged backgrounds, but their passion for the game drives them to give their best on the field," Sheikh remarked.
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