Madurai student to play int'l disability cricket series in England
Madurai: G Vikash Ganeshkumar, a 21-year-old student from The Bethshan Higher Special School in Pasumalai, Madurai, is set to represent India in the upcoming International T20 Mixed Disability Cricket Series against England.
The series is scheduled to be held in London from June 15 to July 4.
Vikash is one of only four intellectually disabled players in the 16-member Indian squad and the sole representative from Tamil Nadu. The series is organised by the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) in collaboration with the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Vikash's mother, Prema Latha, recalls discovering that her son was mildly intellectually disabled at the age of five.
"He studied in a mainstream school until Class 8. Later, we enrolled him at Bethshan, where teachers encouraged him to try different sports. Though he always loved cricket, it wasn't a part of the Special Olympics programme back then," she said.
His father, Ganesh Kumar, a sub-inspector in charge of the dog squad with Madurai police, said Vikash initially explored other sports like badminton to qualify for special events.
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"But the moment cricket was included in the mixed disability category, he focused fully on it. He first played at the district level, then qualified for the state-level competition in Perambur. The DCCI selectors noticed him and even asked for videos of him batting and bowling," he said.
That video, combined with his state-level performance, earned him a call from the DCCI a month ago. "That day was the happiest moment of his life. His dream was always to wear the India jersey. As a mother, I often wondered if it would be possible. But my mother always believed he would achieve something great — and today, he has," said Latha. Vikash is currently undergoing training in Jaipur and will fly to England on Saturday.
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