MADURAI: Normally, the words, ‘Captain of the Indian cricket team’ would be enough to denote the stature of an individual, but that is not the case with KC Shivakumar aka Sachin Shiva. Captain of the Indian physically challenged cricket team, Shiva’s physicality overshadowed his prowess as a cricketer.
“Playing for the country for almost six years, chances of a cricket buff knowing me are zero,” he tells TNIE.
Shiva is 33 years old, from Madurai, and has been pursuing cricket for 15 years now. Contrary to others, his training began with his stigmatization. With his right leg shorter than his left by 40%, Shiva recalls being ousted from local cricket teams in his childhood - a period known to sow the seeds for prospective players.
“It all started when I was just a kid. Other children refused to take me in their teams to play cricket, and I was made to sit and watch. That’s when I decided to show others that I too can shine in cricket.”
Every kid who grew up watching the sport in a pre-2013 world aspired to become Sachin Tendulkar at least once in their lives. Shiva was no different, given the dearth in the broadcast of cricket of the physically challenged. He says, “Seeing Sachin (Tendulkar) play cricket inspired me to pursue a career in the sport.”
He came up with the pen name Sachin Shiva, which is also what is printed on his jersey. Shiva took the Bharat Ratna awardee’s words – “when people throw stones at you, turn them into milestones” - seriously, and said that despite his shortcomings he trained himself over the years.
Hailing from a weak financial background, he could not afford a cricket bat and ball, to begin with. The family banked on the provision store that Shiva’s mother set up 15 years back. So, when he asked for a bat, Shiva’s uncle got a small one carved out of a spare wooden box that was used to store candies. He would keep a rubber ball suspended from a branch of a tree using a string, and practice his strokes.
Shiva’s dedication and persistence made the sports trainer for the physically disabled in Anna Stadium take notice of him, who also introduced the former to cricket for the physically challenged. But that was not the end of his struggles.
He says, “During the early stages of my professional career, I had to struggle due to financial situations. There were times when I had to travel in unreserved coaches in trains for a day or two to reach the venue and play without any rest. We did not have proper gears and shoes, which affected our matches. Few people are willing to sponsor us. I was fortunate enough to get a sponsorship later during my professional career from actor Sivakarthikeyan.”
During the promotions of Sivakarthikeyan’s production ‘Kanaa’ in 2018, Shiva along with a bunch of other physically-disabled sports persons was introduced by the actor as representatives of India. Shiva got in touch with the actor, who decided to sponsor the former. Married and with two kids, Shiva was close to quitting the game to look for a well-paying job when Sivakarthikeyan put him on a monthly salary, which continues even after three years.
Shiva has represented India in 12 international matches and Tamil Nadu in over 50. He holds the national record for the fastest 50 in 16 balls in a match against Madhya Pradesh, in 2017. In January 2023, he is set to lead the Indian team in the little-known upcoming T20 series, scheduled to be held in Chennai. The all-rounder was selected by the Divyang Cricket Control Board of India (DCCBI), becoming the first player from the state to serve as the team’s captain.
Apart from the task at hand, Shiva also aspires to open his own academy where he wants to train physically disabled cricket aspirants. “Financial burden is one of the major things I have to overcome to make this academy a reality. Working hard towards my goal is not new to me. I will achieve my dream.”
Another dream that every cricketer yearns for is a stadium echoing with their name when they set foot on the ground. To make this dream come true, Shiva says that people should come to the stadiums, which are otherwise empty. Cricket of the physically disabled is usually broadcast on Doordarshan and is a rare sight on the branded channels.