IDCA inaugurates 2nd T10 Women's Deaf Premier League 2025 in Mumbai

Building on the success of its inaugural edition the three-day tournament will commence from January 7 to January 9. The tournament began with the opening match between Mumbai Stars and Bangalore Badshahs on Monday, January 7 and will feature ten league matches before culminating in an exciting final on January 9. Each day will showcase intense cricket action with four matches scheduled for January 7 and 8, followed by three matches including the final on January 9.

Speaking about the tournament, Sumit Jain, President of IDCA, said, "Building on the remarkable success of our inaugural season, the second edition of the T10 Women's Deaf Premier League represents our growing commitment to promoting cricket among hearing-impaired women athletes. We are particularly honoured to have Mr Harjinder Kang as our chief guest, which reflects the growing international recognition of deaf cricket. This tournament continues to break barriers and create opportunities for hearing-impaired women cricketers across India," as quoted by a release from IDCA.

Addressing the event, the Chief Guest, Harjinder Kang said, "It gives me immense pleasure to join the inaugural event organised by the Indian Deaf Cricket Association here today. The British High Commission has been a proud supporter of the T-10 Women's Deaf Premier League across India, including Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. The UK champions inclusivity in every sphere, not least in sports and it's wonderful to see how this tournament is celebrating diversity, inclusion, and the human spirit. I applaud all the athletes for their remarkable display of sporting excellence and acting as role models for the future generation."

Dedicated to nurturing upcoming sports talent among specially abled youth, Serum Institute of India has continued its support for the IDCA T10 Women's Deaf Premier League.

The ceremony was attended by distinguished Guests of Honour including Jigna Shah (Founder and CEO of REVE), Colonel Chandoke (MD and CEO of Victorinox India), Kashmira Mewawala (Former Chief Ethics Officer, Tata Capital & Chairman CII Maharashtra State Council), Shalini Behl (Founder, Mindful Science Centre), and Sangeeta Chacko (Head, Corporate Communications, Percept Limited).

The event was also attended by key representatives from supporting organizations including Surender Mehta (Chief Human Resources Officer) and Pratik Trivedi (Lead-CSR) from Nykaa, Sandeep Kumar (General Manager, CSR) from Indo Count Industries Ltd., Kapila Rathod (General Manager-HR) and Althaf Diwan (Lead-SS Sports Committee) from Shoppers Stop Ltd., and Nikhil Pavithran (Chief Operating Officer, Kaizzen Communications). Roma Balwani, CEO of IDCA, commented, "The second edition of the T-10 Women's Deaf Premier League showcases our dedication to women's deaf cricket. With five strong teams and some of the country's finest deaf women cricketers participating, we anticipate an exciting tournament that will further elevate the standard of deaf cricket in India. The dedication of these athletes, who balance their sporting careers with personal responsibilities, continues to inspire us all," according to a release from IDCA. The tournament offers impressive cash prizes, with champions claiming Rs1,00,000 and runners-up securing Rs50,000. Additionally, standout performers are celebrated with individual awards across various categories, showcasing and rewarding exceptional talent.

The tournament features five powerhouse teams led by exceptional talent:- Deaf Mumbai Stars: Captain Alpana Sarfare, Head Coach Ajita Wadaldekar- Deaf Delhi Bulls: Captain Kajal Dhawan, Manager Jyoti Jain- Deaf Hyderabad Eagles: Captain Jyoshna, Assistant Coach Sagarkanta Senapati- Deaf Bangalore Badshahs: Captain Fauziya Khanam, Manager Sathya Murthy- Deaf U.P Warriorz: Captain Priyanshi Dixit, Manager Ashu Dixit. (ANI)