India’s blind women cricketers still wait for house sites and jobs a year after their World Cup win

Deepika T.C. led India to a triumph in the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind in November 2025. However, a year later, she and her 15 fellow players are still awaiting the promised house sites and job opportunities. The team, winners of a jointly hosted tournament by India and Sri Lanka, claims they lack the necessary support from society and the government for their daily lives.

They face challenges such as a lack of local playgrounds, limited fitness guidance, and the inability to afford training in major cities. Despite their partial vision impairments, the players persist, with Deepika overcoming childhood vision issues to excel in cricket. Her parents, despite financial hardships, encouraged her to pursue the sport.

Other members of the team, including Pangi Karuna Kumari and Simu Das, also await government assistance. The players, aged between 16 and 28, mostly originate from impoverished rural backgrounds. The Cricket Association for the Blind in India trains these athletes but requires funding for coaching, nutrition, and travel. Shikha Shetty, the manager and coach of the team, expressed gratitude to Hindustan Shipyard Limited for providing ₹50,000 to each player through their corporate social responsibility program, a gesture aimed at boosting morale ahead of their upcoming series against Nepal in December 2026.