By Kamalakara Rao
Copyright thehindu
Pangi Karuna Kumari, a class 10 student of Government Residential School for the Visually Challenged (Girls), Visakhapatnam, will represent India in the first Women’s T20 World Cup for the Visually Challenged to be held from November 11 to 25, 2025, in New Delhi and Bengaluru.
She performed well in the selection trials held in August, 2025, in Bengaluru, and scored 114 runs in 70 balls (100 runs in 60 balls).
The 15-year-old visually challenged girl was born into a tribal family in a remote village of Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district. Karuna’s parents P. Rambabu and Sandhya, classmates, and teachers expressed happiness over her selection in the Indian team.
She has secured a place in the B1 category (for players with total visual impairment) in the Indian team for the tournament, which will see host India compete against Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the United States and England. The tournament organisers categorise players into B1 (totally blind), B2 (partially blind and with limited visual impairment) and B3 (with severe residual visual impairment).
The tournament will be organised by the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), the cricket arm of the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled. There will be a total of 21 league matches, two semi-finals and a final.
Speaking to The Hindu at her school here on Monday (September 15, 2025), right-handed batter Ms. Karuna said, “I cannot see the ball properly to drive, but I use my brain to identify the position of the ball by its sound. However, it depends on the actual situation at the time of playing the game. I love cricket and play whenever I get time.”
Congratulating her, school’s principal D. Vijaya said that Karuna is an active girl who participates in sports with great enthusiasm. Recently, she attended a 20-day training camp in Bengaluru and the school is ready to support Karuna in all ways, she added.
“It is a matter of pride for us that our student will represent India in World Cup for the Visually Challenged,” she said.
Ms. Vijaya further said that Karuna dropped out of school while studying in class VII at MPUP School in Vanthalamamidi village of Paderu mandal in ASR district. “She studied in a general school till class VII. She dropped out as she could not read the letters on the board and textbooks. Later, our school got the details of the girl through other channels and admitted her as a class VIII student on August 2, 2023. We recognised her interest in cricket and supported her,” she said.
She played in the women’s blind cricket national selections held in Hyderabad in December 2023, Hooghly in January 2024, Cochin in January 2025, and Kochi in March 2025.
“Karuna’s story is a testament to the power of talent and dedication. As she prepares to represent India on a global stage, she has become an inspiration to other visually impaired persons to dream bigger and achieve successes,” said school’s teacher Prasad, who is also visually challenged.
