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Indian physical disability cricket team members vice-captain Wasim Iqbal, opening batter Jaffar Amin Bhat, off-spinner Majid Ah Magray and left-arm pacer Aamir Hassan, who was a part of India's 3-2 bilateral series win against England, said representing their country was a dream come true for them.
This historic series marked the maiden visit of England's official physically challenged cricket team, which was a five-match series held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, starting from January 28 to February 6. India registered a 3-2 series victory after suffering 22 runs in the fifth and final T20 match. Speaking to ANI, vice-captain Wasim Iqbal said his team took a lot of experience from the series against England and it was an honour for him to represent India. "It was an amazing experience for us. And we defeated England by 3-2. We gained a lot of experience from it and it was really great working with our coaches. I hope we will get more tournaments in our cricket. My journey has been great and being a vice-captain and representing my country is a great honour for me. DCCI has been supporting us. Iqbal said he idolises 'Captain Cool' MS Dhoni and wants to ask the former India captain about how he kept his temperament even in tense situations. "DCCI general secretary Ravi Chauhan tried really hard to make this bilateral series happen. I really idolise MS Dhoni and follow his temperament. When I meet MS Dhoni I will ask him 'how can someone gain his kind of temperament, like 'Captain Cool'?" India's opening batter Jaffar Amin Bhat said his journey from Jammu and Kashmir to joining the Indian team was full of ups and downs but he never gave up. "It has been a special journey, there have been a lot of ups and downs in this journey. Playing a series against England was an amazing experience for us. I just want to say that never lose hope and just keep pushing hard. Our plan is just to perform well as a team and be prepared for every match, and series. My favourite player is Rohit Sharma. Whenever I meet Rohit I will ask him about his intent when he goes out and open for Team India," Bhat told ANI. India off-spinner and finisher Majid Ah Magray said, "It was a good experience to play against England because they were really well with their game. There were many downs in my journey but I never left cricket and kept working hard towards my goal." He even urges all para-cricketers to maintain composure, develop inner serenity, and work together to achieve their best performance. "I want young players to never lose hope. With your hard work and dedication, you will always get something out of it," he added. Meanwhile, left-arm pacer Aamir Hassan, who was India's one of the prime bowlers in the series said, "It was a really nice experience to defeat England at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. DCCI and Jay Shah sir have always supported us." This was a historic series for Physical Disability cricket, as both the teams had a rare, maiden opportunity to play in the magnificent Narendra Modi Stadium, which hosted the 2023 ODI World Cup final between India and Australia on November 19. (ANI)
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