COLOMBO, Nov 23: Nepal finished second in the inaugural Blind Women’s T20 World Cup after losing to India by seven wickets in the final held in Colombo on Sunday.
India, who elected to field after winning the toss, restricted Nepal to 114 for 5. Nepal’s innings was anchored by Sarita Ghimire, who top-scored with 35 off 38 balls.
The unseen side of cricket
Chasing 115, India reached the target comfortably, scoring 117 for 3 in just 12 overs to emerge as unbeaten champions of the tournament, which featured teams from Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the United States. India’s Phula Saren led the chase with a quick 44 off 27 deliveries.
The tournament was co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, with the final played at Sri Lanka’s oldest Test venue, the P. Saravanamuttu Stadium.
Blind cricket uses a rattling white plastic ball to help players locate it by sound. Bowlers deliver the ball underarm after confirming the striker’s readiness and calling “play”. Teams field eleven players, including at least four who are fully blind. For fairness, all players wear blindfolds.
Fielders clap once to indicate their position, and players are categorised as B1 (totally blind), B2 and B3 based on their level of vision. Each team may field up to eight B1 players, with runs made by B1 batters counted as double.
