Photo Source; Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh’s Wheelchair Cricket Team wins National Wheelchair Cricket Championship in Gwalior
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, February 23, 2025: In a remarkable display of resilience, Chandigarh’s Wheelchair Cricket Team has etched its name in history by winning the 4th National Wheelchair Cricket Championship, held recently in Gwalior Madhya Pradesh. In a fierce competition, the Chandigarh team secured a triumph over Karnataka defeating them by 7 wickets.
Opening the batting first, Karnataka’s team posted a score of 201 runs by losing 6 wickets but Chandigarh chased the total down with 204/3 with a brilliant knock by Sandeep Kundu who scored 116 runs in just 53 balls.
A total of 18 states competed at the 4th National Wheelchair Cricket Championship trophy which was held in Gwalior from 5 -15 February.
The details of the thrilling match were shared by Veer Sandhu, Captain of Chandigarh’s Wheelchair Cricket Team, who was accompanied by his team members and coach Jagroop Kundu during a homecoming celebration press meet held at the Press Club, Sector 27, Chandigarh.
Veer Sandhu (C), Sukhwant Singh (VC), Sandeep Kundu, Sheelchand, Rajesh Verma, Ranjit Singh, Pawan Bawa, Lovepreet, Jassa Singh were the team members who took part in the press meet. Coach Jagroop Kundu too was present.
Giving credit to his team members and coaching staff for their remarkable win, an elated Veer Sandhu, shared: “This whole experience feels surreal. We went into the tournament with full confidence as we had practiced hard. Each player had put in his blood and sweat to win the tournament. The coaching staff also had been an incredible support who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. The victory is not an individual performance but a truly collective effort.”
Sandhu added, “I only rue one thing while we have brought laurels to Chandigarh at the national level we are not being allowed to enter our residence Cheshire Home in Sec 21. All inmates have been evicted by Chandigarh Administration. I call on the administration to open the doors of the residence as despite our achievement for Chandigarh we have been rendered homeless.”
In the league matches, the Chandigarh Wheelchair Cricket Team showcased their incredible dominance. They defeated Rajasthan by 44 runs, followed by a convincing victory over Uttarakhand by 97 runs.
In their third match, they triumphed over Haryana by 80 runs. In a stunning display, Chandigarh then defeated Goa by a massive margin of 290 runs. The team sealed the league with a thrilling 4-wicket win over Punjab.
In a nail-biting quarterfinal, Chandigarh defeated Punjab by 2 wickets, and in the semi-final, they clinched a hard-fought 35 run victory over Tamil Nadu. Finally, in the grand finale, Chandigarh triumphed over Karnataka by 7 wickets to claim the title.
Sandeep Kundu was declared Man of the Series, amassing a remarkable total of 747 runs and 9 wickets, including 3 centuries and 4 fifties.
He was also awarded the Super Striker of Sixes for hitting 44 sixes throughout the tournament. His scintillating batting earned him the Best Batsman award as well. Meanwhile, Veer Singh Sandhu was named the Best Wicketkeeper of the tournament.
Notably, Chandigarh set a World Record by scoring 328 runs in 20 overs. In an extraordinary innings, Sandeep Kundu played a blistering knock of 184 runs off 53 balls, smashing 17 sixes and 19 fours, leading the team to a spectacular 290-run victory over Goa.
Chandigarh's Winning Team:
Veer Sandhu (C), Sukhwant Singh (VC), Sandeep Kundu , Sheelchand , Rajesh Verma, Sitaram Saini, Pardeep Chahal, Gurvinder , Ranjit Singh, Pawan Bawa, Lovepreet and Jassa Singh. Jagroop Kundu was the team’s coach.