In a first, Tamil Nadu native has been selected as the captain of Indian Cricket Team for Physically Challenged.
The 33-year-old C Shivakumar, fondly called Sachin Shiva resides at Maruthu Pandiyar Nagar, Theppakulam of Tamil Nadu’s Madurai district. He has become the first player from Tamil Nadu to be selected as the captain of the Indian physically challenged cricket team. Within six months of his birth, polio had crippled his limb, making it impossible for him to walk normally. Shiva’s childhood passion for cricket paved him the opportunity, despite being occasionally ignored.
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The year 2013 saw the introduction of impaired cricket to Sachin Shiva, who kept playing cricket throughout high school and college. Following that, Shiva, who joined the Tamil Nadu squad via his own efforts, was given the chance to take over as team captain in relatively short span of time. In 2016, he was given the opportunity to play for the Indian physically challenged team. In 2019, he became the vice captain of the team after doing well on the field. Apparently, Shiva has been chosen as Captain based on his performance throughout the previous three years as Vice-Captain. The fastest half-century and most runs scored are two of the records Sachin Shiva has broken so far.
While speaking to News18, Sachin Shiva said, ‘My 15 years of arduous struggle has paid off. I’m overjoyed to be captaining the Indian team. Despite spending so many years representing Indian team, we did not receive the credit we deserved. Even our pay did not match that of the main team,’ he claimed. Only players from Delhi, Punjab, West Bengal, and Kashmir have captained the Indian squad thus far, he added. Further, due to the talent and success of Tamil Nadu players, the cricket board has for the first time recognized and chosen a player from South India, especially from Tamil Nadu, the cricketer said.
‘The players with disabilities are not assisted for the compensation, benefits, and supports that are offered to the BCCI cricket players. We occasionally receive financial assistance and participate in the cricket games,’ Shiva claimed. ‘In order to lead the Indian team, I look up to cricketer MS Dhoni’s leadership as I need a lot of experience to guide the team,’ he said. Shortcomings are not the fault as only then would there be opportunities for the differently-abled young people to represent the nation as cricketers, according to Shiva, who has urged the Centre and state governments to celebrate the finest differently-abled cricketers by offering them medals, incentives, government positions, Sachin Shiva asserted.
Many, including Madurai MP Su Venkatesan are praising Tamil Nadu’s Sachin Siva for being chosen as the captain of the Indian Cricket team for Physically Challenged.
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