In a league of their own: Wheelchair cricketers win games & hearts

By: Khushi Mundra
NEW DELHI: For a cricket match, it was a strange sight. Wicketkeeper Monu Shaikh was stopping the balls with one gloved hand. And his movements were restricted to the latitude offered by his wheelchair.
An ad film being shot? A gimmick for a sporting event? No, this was the scene from the Indian Wheelchair Premier League (IWPL) under way at Bal Bhavan International School, Sector 12, Dwarka.The six-day event began on Monday.
The enthusiasm of the wheelchair-bound cricketers left everyone touched. And if they wondered where the bravehearts got the strength to do the impossible, Vikas Lamba, a player for Chennai Super Stars, pointed out, “We are not bound by our disabilities. Rather, they give us the push we need.”
IWPL is not just a series of matches for players with physical restrictions but an opportunity to prove themselves to the world. Suresh Chaudhary, captain of Delhi Challengers and a former commentator, revealed, “Earlier, people taunted me when I commentated on matches, asking if I could do anything. Now, after I began playing, these taunts have turned to admiration. Yes, he can do something, they say.”
The event convenor, Mukesh Sinha, said, “We started IWPL with six teams. In the last two seasons, we have had eight teams from different parts of the country competing for the honours. This season, we have 12 players from Nepal and Bangladesh participating, showing that the tournament is gaining momentum.”
The opening ceremony started with a colourful roadshow and ended with a friendly six-over match between the teams of IWPL and Dwarka. Anto Alphonse, former DCP (Dwarka), and Pankaj Roy Gupta, sub-divisional magistrate, Dwarka, were the chief guests. Alphonse said, “I’ve been a part of IWPL since the first season. I initially doubted whether people would be interested in watching a cricket match played in wheelchairs, but I was proved wrong. These matches are exciting and fun. The players play with the same, if not more, grit and dedication as regular players.”
While the IPL teams inspire the names of the eight teams in IWPL, the slight differences in their nomenclature hint at how they are both different and similar. As Dhan Singh from Uttarakhand, captain of the Chennai Super Stars, said, “Struggles are a part of everyone’s life. But we have to put in extra effort to do what others see as the smallest of things. We also have to feign indifference to hurtful comments made about us.”
Mohit Kumar of Uttarakhand, who plays for Kolkata Knight Fighters, lost his leg when he was four years old. “I decided to make my weakness my strength because I know life has its ups and downs and you need to accept setbacks for what they are,” said Kumar, who faced another disabling moment when he lost both his parents in childhood. But he forged ahead with the support of his elder brother. Today, Mohit can smile and report, “Apart from playing cricket, I have also won a medal in 5-km running and participated in the powerlifting national championships.”
As with all things related to those with special abilities, sympathy is not what they need, only the opportunity to prove themselves and to influence mindsets. Expressing such a view, Mann Singh, a player from Aligarh, said, “We do not require unnecessary help. While I agree that to help someone is humane, yet just wishing to assist us out of pity is an attitude that has to change. We have lost our legs, not our ability to live.”
IWPL, which began in 2018, has inspired both persons with disabilities and the common man to review their perspectives on success. “People who stop growing and learning are the ones who can’t,” said V K Lamba, coach of Chennai Super Stars. “People who are limited by their body parts compensate with their strong resilience and determination.”
On Monday, as over 150 players from across the country and abroad gathered at Rajapuri Chowk in Dwarka Sector 5 for the roadshow and danced animatedly to songs, their eyes hinted at the struggles they went through growing up. But it was with justifiable pride that they stood there as sportsmen and took the pledge to play the game in the right spirit.
The matches can be watched live on the MiP mobile app. The final is on June 24 with the closing ceremony on June 25.