When his deaf and mute protégé Krrish Prajapati made it to the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) team, Imran Sheikh’s joy knew no bounds. His dream of grooming talented youngsters with hearing and speech disabilities was finally taking shape. It also came as a shot in the arm for Sheikh, known as Dhoni of the Indian deaf and mute cricket team. Now, this former captain is a man on a mission.
Not many know that the 36-year-old cricketer has been coaching around 50 deaf and mute cricketers for over a year now. “I don’t charge a single rupee from them. They pay me if they can afford to. There are many deaf and mute players who are immensely talented but don’t receive professional coaching. “My goal is to train them and make them eligible for regular, professional cricket,” Imran conveyed in sign language.
