Kalia Pradhan, a native of Ganjam district of Odisha, has been selected in Indian's Blind Cricket team for the bilateral series against Nepal at Kanpur and Dehradun.
24-year-old Pradhan belongs to B1 category, which is reserved for the players who have completely lost their vision.
Pradhan lost his father in 2015. His mother, Khali Pradhan, worked as a daily wager to support his son to fulfil his dream. He has recently completed his diploma in special education.
Speaking to ANI, Pradhan said, "I am very happy that I am selected in the Indian team. I am playing since 2009 and it was my dream to play for India. I worked hard to achieve this."
"After the death of my father in 2015, my mother worked as a daily wager and supported me throughout. She always taught me to work hard to accomplish all your dream," Pradhan said.
Md Jafar Iqbal, President of Cricket Association for the Visually Impaired, Odisha said: "This is a very delightful moment for us that Kalia Pradhan got a chance to play in the Indian team. He is the sixth player in the Indian team from Odisha. His dedication and commitment to cricket is an example for others."
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Along with the Kalia Pradhan, one more player, Lingaraj Routra got selected in the B3 category of the tournament to play from India.
The selection committee of the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) named the 14-member squad for the bilateral series against Nepal in Kanpur and Dehradun. The Indian squad has representation from 10 different states. As many as eight players including five B1, one B2 and two B3 have made the squad for the first time.
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