SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir cricketer Majid Ahmad Magray has been appointed captain of the Indian team for the upcoming Mixed Disability Cricket T20I series against England, with two other players from the Union Territory also earning places in the 16-member squad announced by the Differently Abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI).
The seven-match T20I series will be played across England from August 5 to August 19. Sai Akash Saivamani of Tamil Nadu has been named vice-captain of the Indian side.
Jammu and Kashmir has three players in the national squad—Majid Ahmad Magray, Rizwan Altaf Bhat and Hilal Ahmad Wani—giving the Union Territory one of the highest representations in the team, alongside Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Announcing the squad, DCCI Secretary Ravi Kant Chauhan described Magray’s appointment as captain as a proud moment for both Jammu and Kashmir and the differently abled cricket fraternity. He said Magray’s leadership would inspire aspiring cricketers from the region to pursue the sport with greater confidence and determination.
DCCI Vice-President Sumit Jain wished the Indian team and support staff a successful tour and expressed hope that their performances would inspire more differently abled cricketers to take up the sport.
The Indian Mixed Disability Cricket Team is currently undergoing a preparatory training camp at Chhawla, near Dwarka in New Delhi, ahead of the England tour.
India will begin the series with the opening two T20Is at the OurCoop County Ground, Derby, on August 5 and August 7. The third T20I will be played at Uptonsteel Grace Road, Leicester, on August 9, followed by the fourth at the County Ground, Hove, on August 12.
The fifth and sixth T20Is are scheduled to be played at Arundel on August 15 and 16, respectively, while the seventh and final match will be held at Lord’s Cricket Ground on August 19. All matches are scheduled to begin at 2:30 pm local time.
The touring side will be coached by former Rajasthan Ranji captain Rohit Jhalani. He will be assisted by Dev Dutt as coach, Rohit Sharma as fielding coach, Ramswaroop Saini as strength and conditioning coach, and Mayank Pushkar as physiotherapist.
Besides captain Majid Ahmad Magray, the 16-member Indian squad includes Rizwan Altaf Bhat and Hilal Ahmad Wani from Jammu and Kashmir; vice-captain Sai Akash Saivamani and Sudarsun Elangovan from Tamil Nadu; Kuldeep Singh and Tarun from Haryana; Rajesh Irappa Kannur and Shiva Shankara Guntiganapalli Subbarayappa from Karnataka; Yashwanth Naidu Ravuri from Andhra Pradesh; Vivek Kumar from Uttar Pradesh; Arjun Rajesh Gawre from Vidarbha; Ravindra Gopinath Sante from Mumbai; Yogender Singh Bhadoria from Madhya Pradesh; Vrushant Sandip Gunjal from Maharashtra; and Jayesh Parmar from West Bengal.
