World Cup cricket champion returns to street food stall to make ends meet

Vadodara: As Team India wins accolades for its march into the T20 World Cup final, not all cricketing champions are as fortunate. While the country celebrates, a World Cup-winning cricket captain is back on the streets of Vadodara, selling ‘moong chaat' and ‘corn bhel' to survive.Imran Sheikh, a Barodian who led the Indian deaf and mute cricket team to a World Cup win, has returned to his roadside food stall near Sayajibaug, to make ends meet. A talented mentor, Sheikh spent a decade coaching but was unable to earn enough to cover even his basic expenses. "I am very passionate about cricket and want to mentor young cricketers. I worked as a coach for different institutions but could not earn a decent living. It was difficult to sustain, and I decided to start a roadside food stall to make a living," Sheikh, 41, told TOI.An all-rounder in the Indian deaf and mute team, Sheikh captained the side to a World Cup victory in 2005 and won admiration for his performance. But after retirement, recognition faded. "Those playing deaf and mute cricket do not get paid much and sometimes must bear their own expenses. Despite a rich experience in the sport, I did not get proper coaching job offers," he recalled. He had first tried running a food stall over a decade ago, and crowds flocked to his counter.