Shekhar Naik – Indian Blind Cricket Team Captain
Shekhar Naik is an Indian Blind cricketer and former captain of the Indian National cricket team (Blind). He was born blind on 7 April 1986 in district Shimoga, Karnataka in a poor family. His parents worked in paddy fields for survival.
He grew up in that small village and didn’t even know what Cricket is. 1994 turned out to be a life-changer for him. After a small accident in his village, he was brought and treated in Bangalore, where he gained 60% view in his right eye.
In 1996, He took admission in “Shri shraddha Devi Blind School” Shimoga, where he started playing cricket. He started enjoying cricket and soon became a good player. His coach was very supportive and always encouraged him. In 2001, he was selected for the under-18 cricket tournament, held in Hyderabad. Shekhar was selected as Man of the Series in that tournament. In 2002, he was selected for the national team to play in the World cup and was awarded Man of the Match in 2 matches against Australia and Srilanka.
In 2004, he scored 198 runs in a match against Pakistan, which is highest International Score by any sports person with low/no vision. Between 2005-2010 he played many matches and won numerous awards. In 2010, Shekhar was selected to be Captain of Indian National Cricket team. During his captainship, the team won first ever T20 World cup against Pakistan in 2012.
Shekhar Naik never let his disability stop him from fulfilling his dream of playing for his country and achieved huge success. Many people look up to him for inspiration and courage.
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