India to have its first blind women's cricket team

India will have its first ever blind women’s cricket team when they tour England in July 2021. The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) announced the decision to accept an invitation from Blind Cricket England and Wales (BCEW) for the tour, during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday (July 25).



“I am delighted to take this opportunity today to pass on the news that we have just received an invitation from Blind Cricket England and Wales (BCEW) for an Indian girls team to tour England in the 2021 summer,” said Mahantesh GK, president of CABI and that of World Blind Cricket Ltd (WBC), during the virtually held AGM.



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In December 2019, inaugural Women’s National Cricket Tournament was held in Delhi. Odisha beat Karnataka to win the championship that featured seven state sides. The second season of the women’s nationals will be held later this year and will form the basis for the national squad selection.



CABI has also provisionally recognised the newly formed associations in Chandigarh, Assam, Sikkim, Nagaland and Meghalaya, bringing the total number of associations to 30.



BCEW, is a body officially recognised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) while CABI is yet to receive recognition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). In a statement released after the AGM, CABI said they are hoping to meet the BCCI to express their concerns. CABI had earlier requested the BCCI to help them with financial and infrastructure support.



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