The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on 21 February a structured support framework for the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), underlining its commitment to inclusive growth and greater opportunities across Indian cricket.
The framework covers both the men’s and women’s national blind cricket teams and includes international travel for two overseas tournaments annually, accommodation for home and visiting teams during bilateral series hosted in India, and access to BCCI-affiliated stadia and grounds for domestic and international fixtures.
The announcement has drawn widespread praise from across the disability cricket ecosystem, with officials from both the BCCI and the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) calling it a landmark moment for inclusive sport in the country.
Champions Without A Stage No More
The structured support addresses longstanding challenges that have long overshadowed the remarkable achievements of India’s visually impaired cricketers.
India’s visually impaired cricketers have achieved remarkable success on the global stage over the past decade, with multiple Men’s World Cup titles and a historic inaugural Women’s World Cup triumph.
The women’s team won the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind in 2025: a crowning achievement that threw into sharp relief how little institutional support had accompanied their rise.
BCCI President Mithun Manhas acknowledged the scale of their contribution, saying: “The achievements of India’s visually impaired cricketers are a source of immense pride for the cricketing fraternity.
Through this support framework, the BCCI aims to strengthen opportunities, infrastructure and exposure for these athletes. Inclusive growth remains central to our vision for the game. We hope this support will further empower the teams to pursue excellence with confidence and inspire many more to take up the sport.
” BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia added: “Extending this support to CABI is an important step in ensuring that visually impaired cricketers have the facilities and assistance needed to compete with confidence both at home and overseas.
The opportunity to benefit from BCCI-supported infrastructure and match environments will further enhance their experience and help raise professional standards across blind cricket in India.”
DCCI, Jay Shah And The Push For Disability Sport
The BCCI’s decision has resonated well beyond the boundary rope. The Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) welcomed the announcement, calling it a landmark step for inclusive growth in Indian cricket, with office-bearers describing the move as a progressive shift that strengthens opportunities and professional pathways for visually impaired cricketers.
DCCI General Secretary Ravi Kant Chauhan said, “Jay Shah represents a thought, a belief and a transformation. When leadership rises beyond position and becomes purpose-driven, history is created.
” DCCI Joint Secretary Abhay Pratap Singh stated, “Providing organised support for disability cricket and enabling a robust framework for blind cricket reflects that his vision extends beyond the game itself. It reaches every talented athlete who only needs a platform.
This decision is equivalent to giving direction to thousands of dreams.” The BCCI itself acknowledged the broader context, noting that the initiative reflects the importance of inclusive growth in cricket, an approach that ICC Chairman Jay Shah advocated during his tenure as BCCI Honorary Secretary and continues to support in his role at the ICC.
The Cricket Association for the Blind in India, founded in 1991, has long been a founding member of the DCCI and is one of the oldest bodies governing disability cricket in the country.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
India celebrates its cricketers with a fervour unlike almost any other nation on earth, yet for decades, some of its most tenacious and gifted players have competed in near-invisibility, winning World Cups without the facilities, funding, or fanfare their achievements deserved.
The BCCI’s structured support for CABI is not charity, it is a correction and a necessary one. Ensuring that visually impaired cricketers can travel to international tournaments, train in professional-grade venues, and host opponents with dignity is the bare minimum a sport as wealthy as Indian cricket owes its most resilient ambassadors.
This decision also sends a powerful message to disability sport more broadly: that excellence, wherever it is found, deserves equal investment. As India’s sporting ambitions continue to grow, the true measure of that ambition must include every athlete, not only those the cameras find most easily.
🚨 News 🚨
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 21, 2026
BCCI announces a support framework for the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), underlining its commitment to inclusive growth and greater opportunities across Indian cricket.
More Details ▶️ https://t.co/wAw46ZTk3t pic.twitter.com/Oq2BRfQqoi
