Khorwal shines in 4th T20 National Physical Disability Championship
Oct 22, 2024
Udaipur (Rajasthan) [India], October 22 : Rajasthan all-rounder Surinder Kumar Khorwal, who plays despite an artificial limb (prosthetic left leg) as he was born with just one leg and a physical disability in his right hand, emerged as the best performer in the league stage of the fourth T20 National Physical Disability Championship, which started in Udaipur on October 15.
Khorwal scored 300 runs in five innings, with a strike rate of 157, including two fifties and one hundred. He also took six wickets with an economy rate of 5.50 using his left-arm spin. Interestingly, England's Test captain Ben Stokes had gifted a pair of gloves to Khorwal at the Rajasthan Royals' High Performance Centre in Nagpur in January this year. The 27-year-old is likely to win a car, awarded by the Shree Chatur Bhuj Foundation, to the 'Player of the Tournament.' Apart from cricketing skills, the award will also consider the player's on-field conduct.
Meanwhile, the fourth T20 National Physical Disability Championship, organized by the Differently-abled Cricket Council of India (DCCI) with support from Narayan Seva Sanstha, has reached the quarterfinals stage. The quarterfinals will be played starting Wednesday. The tournament saw 60 matches involving 24 state teams split across four groups during the league stage. The matches were held across four picturesque venues in the 'Lake City.'
Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Orissa, Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Mumbai, and Gujarat have made it to the quarterfinals.
There were some exceptional performances throughout the tournament, including 39 fifties, three centuries, and an incredible 355 sixes. Bowlers also had their moments, taking a total of 884 wickets, with four five-wicket hauls. The Svyam organization is awarding Rs 11,000 to the 'Player of the Match' in each of the 67 matches of the tournament.
The players' jerseys, caps, bats, and balls were provided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Rajasthan Royals have also supported the tournament and have been helping the DCCI since 2021.
"I'm thankful to BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who has always expressed his support for DCCI. He has promised his support to us even after becoming the ICC chairman-elect," said Ravikant Chauhan, the secretary of DCCI said as quoted by a press release.
