New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu met the World Cup-winning Indian women’s blind cricket team at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, where she was presented with an autographed cricket bat by the players and support staff.

Indian team made history by winning the first-ever Blind Women’s T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, beating Nepal by seven wickets in the final.

“Indian Blind Women’s Cricket Team, winner of the first-ever Blind Women’s T20 World Cup, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The team presented the President with an autographed cricket bat. The President congratulated the team members on winning the T20 World Cup and said their success would inspire others to scale new heights in their lives and careers. The President also signed a cricket ball presented by the team on the occasion,” the President of India posted on X.

Opting to field first after winning the toss, India restricted Nepal to 114 for 5 in their 20 overs. The chase was nothing short of clinical as India surpassed the target in just 12.1 overs with 47 balls to spare. Khula Sharir emerged as the stand-out performer, scoring an unbeaten 44 off 27 balls, including four boundaries, to guide India home comfortably.

In the semi-final, India secured a commanding nine-wicket victory over Australia, while Nepal advanced to the final by narrowly defeating Pakistan in the other last-four encounter.

En route to their title win, India defeated Sri Lanka by 10 wickets, Australia by 209 runs, Nepal by 85 runs, the United States by 10 wickets, and Pakistan by 8 wickets in the group stage to progress to the semi-final, where they beat Australia by 9 wickets before eventually defeating Nepal by 7 wickets in the final.

India’s emphatic title run not only highlights their consistency but also marks a major milestone for blind cricket, paving the way for increased recognition and growth of the sport in the coming years.

–IANS

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