Exeter: Ravindra Gopinath Sante’s journey is a remarkable example that can inspire aspiring cricketers with disabilities across India — proving that dreams can indeed come true. A paralysed right hand since childhood didn’t stop this left-arm spinning allrounder from making a mark in Mumbai’s top local tournaments, including the prestigious Kanga League and Times Shield, where he competed and held his own against able-bodied cricketers, some of whom went on to represent Mumbai and India. In his early days, Sante would travel 116 kilometres daily by local train from Dombivli to Virar to train under Ravindra Patil, assistant and fielding coach of the Indian mixed disability team. It’s been a long journey both on and off the field and today, he stands at the helm of something truly special. Starting Saturday (June 21) in Taunton, the 36-year-old from the village of Kolegaon in Dombivli will captain India’s mixed disability team in a seven-match T20I series against hosts England. A highlight of the tour will be the third T20I at Lord’s on June 25 — a rare and proud occasion for India’s mixed disability cricketers at the iconic ‘Home of Cricket.’ Another standout fixture is scheduled for July 1 in Bristol, where the team will play a double-header, with the Indian women’s team taking on England later that evening. That match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, while all matches will be streamed in India on Sony LIV, which is also covering the Indian men’s and women’s tours of England.
“It’s a proud feeling to lead India’s mixed disability team,” Sante told Mumbai Mirror on Thursday. “It’ll be a new and different experience because earlier there were separate teams for different disabilities. This is the first time India is fielding a mixed disability team and it includes players with physical, learning, and hearing/speech impairments. All three disability categories are coming together for the first time.” Reflecting on how far the ecosystem has come, Sante said: “When I started, we’d travel in unreserved train compartments, often sitting near toilets on the way to national tournaments. But things have improved tremendously, thanks to the tireless work of people like Ravi Chauhan (General Secretary, Differently-Abled Cricket Council of India). This tour, for instance, has the support of the ECB, ICC, and the BCCI. We’ve done well against the England Lions Mixed Disability team in warm-ups and are confident of winning this series.”Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? Sante was just six months old when two faulty injections by a doctor paralysed his right arm. Raised in a modest household, he discovered cricket relatively late. “I started playing leather-ball cricket while representing KV Pendharkar College. Growing up in Dombivli, we didn’t have the kind of facilities kids have today. During one college match, I scored a half-century, and the umpire from the opposing team was so impressed and that’s where my journey truly began. My father, who passed away a decade ago, always supported me. Like many parents, he never insisted I stick to a regular job,” he recalled. Sante, now a Central Railway employee and father of two, added: “Back then, I didn’t even know disability cricket existed. One day, a local corporator hosted an exhibition match for differently-abled players. That’s where I met Ravi Patil sir. For two to three years after that, I travelled daily to train at his Sainath Cricket Club in Virar. Soon, I was selected for Maharashtra, and then for India.” “We were short one player, so I added him to the Maharashtra squad at the last minute for the nationals. And look at him now,” Patil said with pride. Sante currently plays for Garware Club House in the Kanga League and Cosmopolitan Shield, and for Mumbai Sports Association, a team under Central Railway in the Times Shield ‘C’ Division. Having overcome personal adversity, it’s no surprise Sante draws inspiration from India’s 2011 World Cup hero, Yuvraj Singh. “I loved his fielding, his fighting spirit, and his unbelievable performance during the 2011 World Cup, even while battling cancer. I’ll always cherish meeting Yuvraj sir at his home in Gurgaon, just before our tour to Afghanistan in 2016,” Sante fondly shared.
