A 17-member Indian team was on Wednesday announced for the upcoming second World T20 for the visually challenged to be held in the country from January 28, 2017.
Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) president Mahantesh GK said selecting the team was a tough task and there are 9 players named as reserves apart from the 17 in the team from 10 states of the nation.
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The World Cup will be held till February 12 and the final will be played in Bengaluru.
The announcement was made on Wednesday after IndusInd Bank launched the 'World Champions Programme – Cricket for the Blind' here.
The programme is in partnership with Cricket Association for the Blind in India – Sports Initiative of Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, to aid the Indian Blind Cricket Team.
Under the programme, the Bank will be supporting the Indian Blind Cricket Team, comprising 26 players.
Under it, the team will undergo rigorous training workshops and camp. Mahantesh said the Board of Cricket for Control in India has said that they will support the World Cup.
Skipper Ajay Kumar Reddy said the team will start preparations for the tournament from January 5 from a camp in Indore and he and his men will give more than 100 per cent.
"We are short of funds and appeal corporates to support the initiative," another senior official of the Association said.
He said neighbouring country Nepal asked for travel fair for the tournament. The winners will get Rs 2O lakh and the runners-up will be richer by Rs.15 lakh.
Complete Squad: Ajay Kumar Reddy (C), Prakasha Jayaramaiah (VC), Deepak Malik, Rambir Singh, Sukhram Majhi, T Durga Rao, Sunil R, D Venkateswara Rao, Ganeshbhai Muhundkar, Md Faisal, Md Farhan, Ketanbhai Patel, Md Jafar Iqbal, Sonu Golkar, Anish Beg and Prem Kumar G