Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 17 : Legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar met the members of the Indian Women's Blind Cricket Team - who are the newly-crowned T20 Blind Cricket World Cup champions - at the MIG Cricket Club in Mumbai on Tuesday.
After the meeting, he shared a heartfelt note on his X handle. Tendulkar highlighted India's women's Blind side courage, discipline, and belief.
"Most have eyesight, but only a few have true vision. I had the chance to meet these remarkable young visually challenged women who made India proud. Their courage, discipline, and belief are a testament to the fact that this game is felt and lived, and that nothing should deter anyone from making it their own. With their grit and determination, they have changed the narrative of how we experience the game," Tendulkar said.
"They have made history on the world stage and inspired the next generation to believe that no dream is beyond reach. Congratulations to the entire team and support staff on winning the inaugural T20 Women's World Cup for visually challenged," Tendulkar added.
India's women's blind team created history after winning the Women's T20 World Cup for the Blind. They lifted the title after registering a seven-wicket win over Nepal in Colombo.
Opting to field first, Indian bowlers displayed an all-round performance. The Indian bowlers bowled tight lines, limiting Nepal to 114/5 in 20 overs. While chasing, the Indian batters breached the 100-run mark in the first 10 overs, ensuring there is no more threat.
Opener Phula Saren played a match-winning knock. She made 44 runs off 27 balls, including four boundaries. Her innings brought India to chase down the target in the 13th over, sealing the title. Apart from Saren, opener Karuna K contributed with a blistering 27-ball 42.
Saren's fantastic knock helped her to win the Player of the Match. After scripting history, India captain Deepika TC said that they are very proud of this win. Deepika added that the entire team worked hard to lift the title.
"We are very proud, and it is a huge win. Our entire team worked very hard. It is a very strong team and other teams are afraid of playing with us. We are even ready to play with the men's team." Deepika TC said after winning the match.
In the T20 World Cup for the Blind, India displayed an exceptional performance, going undefeated throughout the tournament to claim the title.
India started their campaign by defeating Sri Lanka. Against Australia, India registered a 57-run win after the Aussies failed to chase down the 293-run target.
India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan, chasing the 136-run target in just 10.2 overs. In the semi-final, India thrashed Australia by nine wickets, sealing the trophy with a one-sided win over Nepal.