NEW DELHI: It is going to be Andhra Pradesh vs Karnataka in the final of the 4th National Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2021-22. The summit clash will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the capital on November 25.
Andhra Pradesh entered the final of the tournament for the fourth successive time since its inception in 2019. For Karnataka, it’s the second time they’ve reached the final.
Andhra won all its five league matches, while Karnataka came out on top in four of their five league games.
In the semifinal between Haryana and Andhra – played at the Siri Fort Sports Complex, Haryana put up 180 for 3 on the scoreboard in their allotted 20 overs. Andhra managed to chase down 181, losing just four wickets in 17.4 overs. The six-wicket win was fashioned by Ajay Reddy, who top-scored with 63 off just 37 balls and was declared the 'Man of the Match'.
In the second semifinal, Karnataka defeated Odisha by eight wickets at the Saket Sports Complex.
Odisha put up a competitive 171 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs, setting a target of 172 for Karnataka to win. Karnataka reached the target in 16.5 overs for the loss of just two wickets.
Prakash Jayaramaiah scored a breathtaking 100 off 64 balls, including 16 boundaries, to make sure Karnataka coasted to victory and was rightly declared the 'Man of the Match'.
The tournament is being organised by the The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) in association with the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled.
India currently holds the Blind Cricket T20 World Cup title, which they won in 2018.
The national tournament will see 56 probables being selected for upcoming international championships. Out of the 56, 17 will make it to India’s World Cup squad and will represent the country at the T20 World Cup for the blind.
The national tournament kick-started on November 17, and 28 state teams competed for the title. A total of 384 visually impaired cricketers converged on six grounds in the National Capital Region to play an overall 67 T20 matches.
